Artemis Program
In this text, I chose to talk about a current topic, a mission that rekindled my love for space exploration, which had been frozen for a while, and once again gave us hope for a better future.
The Artemis Program, announced in 2017, is the new human endeavor on the lunar surface. So far, it consists of three main missions (Artemis 1, Artemis 2, and Artemis 3), with two more envisioned for the future (Artemis 4, Artemis 5). The program aims, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, to return a human to the lunar soil. The Artemis Program, with an initially budgeted average cost of $34 billion (note that these were the initial estimates and may be subject to updates), has well-defined objectives. In this program, the first woman and the first person of color will walk on our satellite.
In the medium and long term, the program has more ambitious goals, such as establishing a sustainable human presence (in practice, a lunar base) and enabling this “human presence” to extract lunar resources, eventually turning it into an outpost for deep space missions.
Several questions come to mind when we talk about the Artemis Program. Why hasn’t humanity returned to the moon since 1972? Why go back now? Is it worth going to the moon? What can we find there, is it just a desert?
The answer is that basically everything has changed since humans first stepped on the Sea of Tranquility. The absence of human activities on our natural satellite for 50 years can be explained by the following factors: The accident with the Apollo 13 mission caused fears within NASA and the American space program. Once the space race was won, why risk the lives of astronauts and billions of dollars by returning to a lifeless body? These fears eventually shortened the Apollo program, which was originally planned for 20 missions but ended on the 17th.
As for the second question, the answer is that someone will return to the Moon sooner or later, so why not now and why not NASA? Recent research has modified our knowledge of the lunar nature. The Moon is actually rich in water, frozen and underground, but still abundant. Water is essentially H2O, and breaking down these molecules generates the perfect material for space fuel: Hydrogen and Oxygen.
The main strategic goal of the mission is undeniably to assess and initiate the establishment of a continuous human presence on the satellite, preparing the Moon as a “waystation” for reaching Mars. It is worth noting that the benefits of a lunar base are immense, ranging from scientific research to serving as a construction and launch site for spacecraft. The fuel needed to escape lunar attraction is considerably less than that needed to escape Earth, making the construction and launch process more cost-effective.
Another point of interest in the realm of fuels is the presence of Helium-3 in large quantities on the lunar surface. This is a consequence of the interaction between the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and the lunar soil. Due to Earth’s atmospheric protections against solar ultraviolet radiation, Helium-3 is extremely rare naturally on our planet. The issue of Helium-3 also involves geopolitics, as the material is a key element with great potential for nuclear fusion development. China, a major competitor of the USA in the present world, has a keen interest in lunar exploration and Helium-3 research, aligning with the American logic of the space race and Cold War: “We have to get there before them.”
The Artemis I mission, launched on November 16, 2022, at 06:47:44 UTC, lasted for 25 days, 10 hours, and 53 minutes, successfully completing its objectives. This historic mission marked the first integrated flight test of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, representing a significant milestone in space exploration. The main goal was to thoroughly test the Orion spacecraft, with a particular focus on evaluating its heat shield, in preparation for upcoming Artemis missions.
The preparation for Artemis I involved the assembly of the Orion spacecraft on October 20, 2021. However, the fully assembled vehicle faced delays and challenges during pre-flight testing. After overcoming these obstacles, the SLS and Orion were ready for launch on August 17, 2022. Unfortunately, the first two launch attempts were canceled due to a faulty engine temperature reading on August 29, 2022, and a hydrogen leak during fueling on September 3, 2022. Despite these setbacks, the mission was eventually successful, and the Orion spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere, safely protected by its heat shield, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11.
The Space Launch System (SLS) is a groundbreaking space launch rocket developed by NASA. Designed to be the most powerful launch vehicle ever built (at least until the successful launch of Starship), the SLS has a primary objective of carrying astronauts and payloads on missions beyond low Earth orbit. These missions include crewed expeditions to the Moon, Mars, and even beyond, expanding humanity’s reach into deep space.
The SLS consists of multiple stages and incorporates cutting-edge technologies to enable deep-space exploration. Its core stage, fueled by four RS-25 engines, the same engines used in the retired space shuttles, provides the majority of the energy required to propel the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit. This powerful and innovative rocket represents a pivotal step towards advancing human exploration of the cosmos.
The SLS also features two solid rocket boosters attached to the sides of the core stage, known as “Solid Rocket Boosters.” These boosters provide additional thrust during the initial launch, further enhancing the rocket’s lifting power. Once the core stage and solid rocket boosters have completed their tasks, they separate from the spacecraft and descend back to Earth for recovery and reuse in future missions. The upper stage of the SLS, called the “Exploration Upper Stage,” plays a crucial role in propelling the spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit and towards its final destination in deep space.
The second part of the Artemis mission involved the use of the Orion spacecraft. An essential part of the Artemis program, Orion is designed to be a versatile spacecraft capable of conducting a variety of missions, from near-Earth orbital flights to deep space exploration, including lunar missions and beyond. The spacecraft is designed to carry up to six astronauts on crewed missions.
Featuring an advanced design and including life support systems, communications, thermal control, and radiation protection, the Orion ensures the safety and well-being of astronauts during their missions. A significant aspect of the mission was testing the heat shield, which protects the capsule during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds.
The Orion spacecraft is launched into space using NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which provides the necessary power to propel it beyond Earth’s orbit. Once in space, the capsule can dock with other spacecraft, such as service modules or habitats, to enhance its capacity and mission duration.
The capsule reentered Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 40,000 km/h and was decelerated using a series of parachutes. It landed in the water of the Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,600 km west of the California coast, after orbiting the moon for 25 days at a distance of 64,000 km from Earth.
As we await the next steps, the crew for Artemis II is already set. Scheduled for 2024, the mission includes four astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman (American), Pilot Victor Glover (American), Mission Specialist Christina Koch (American), and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (Canadian).
In the 21st-century space exploration landscape, new players have emerged. Unlike the 1960s when only the USA and the USSR had the entire space playground to themselves, today China, India, Japan, and the European Union have a strong presence. The American space program, somewhat sidelined and weakened since the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, needed an incentive to regain its prominence. The new private companies that emerged in the past decade played a decisive role, as the state’s hegemony in space seems to be numbered. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, among others, posed a threat to return to the Moon before NASA and perhaps reach Mars in the coming years.
The Artemis Program is initiated by NASA but represents an international partnership with various countries, including Japan and the European Union, working together. The creation of shared devices and modules among member countries of the “Artemis Accords,” open to any nation that wishes to join and contribute to the project, is part of this collaborative effort, which also includes private companies like SpaceX.
The Artemis Accords are a set of proposed international principles and guidelines put forth by NASA for lunar exploration and beyond. They aim to establish international cooperation for sustainable and safe space exploration.
The key points of the Artemis Accords include:
1. Peace in Space: Participating countries agree to conduct all space activities for peaceful purposes and refrain from any form of aggression or militarization of space.
2. Transparency: Nations participating in the Accords commit to sharing information about their space activities, including mission plans and policies.
3. Sustainable Use: Countries pledge to use space resources sustainably and protect the space environment for future generations.
4. Interoperability: Nations agree to adopt technical and communication standards to facilitate cooperation and resource-sharing during space missions.
5. Rescue and Assistance: Participating countries agree to assist each other in case of emergencies or issues during space missions.
6. National Regulation: Each participating country commits to authorize and supervise its own space activities in accordance with applicable national and international laws and regulations.
In these missions, long-term projects such as the Gateway, a new space station that will transport astronauts to the Moon, and SpaceX’s Starship, a fully reusable spacecraft without disposable parts, will also be utilized. The Starship will function as a large operational base, opening the doors for commercial space exploration as well.
In conclusion, I will share a video from NASA’s YouTube channel about the operational aspects of the program, detailing how the Moon landing will be achieved. In this article, I focused on practical analyses of motivations and objectives, aiming to elucidate and present the program. In future texts, I will continue to address the program’s progress and provide updated information. I hope to have conveyed the importance and impact that these missions will bring to all of humanity, as a significant technological leap and the first steps towards an interplanetary future for humanity.
Artemis Missions
ARTEMIS I — 16/11/2022
ARTEMIS II — MAY 2024
ARTEMIS III — 2025
NASA’s Text on the Existence of Water on the Moon.
Text on Helium-3 on the Moon, Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science.
http://cienciaecultura.bvs.br/scielo.php?pid=S0009-67252016000400007&script=sci_arttext&tlng=es
Link to Download the Complete Artemis Missions Plan published by NASA (in English).
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/artemis_plan-20200921.pdf
Link to the Official Artemis Accords Page.
