The four astronauts comprising the Artemis 2 mission crew are en route to Florida on Friday, anticipating their journey to orbit the Moon and return. The crew, departing from the Johnson Space Center in Texas, will be accompanied by representatives from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.
Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will travel to Florida via T-38 jets. Their arrival at the Launch and Landing Facility (previously known as the Shuttle Landing Facility) is expected around 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 UTC).
This mission marks the first time humans will journey beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Upon its launch, Artemis 2 is set for a ten-day expedition orbiting the Moon and returning to Earth.
The launch of Artemis 2 is provisionally set for Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 UTC), though it will not occur before this date. A launch window spanning six days is available, concluding on April 6.
The mission employs a free-return trajectory, ensuring the Orion spacecraft, christened ‘Integrity,’ will not enter lunar orbit. The crew’s closest lunar approach is anticipated five days into their journey.
Depending on the precise launch time and date, the mission could potentially surpass the record for the greatest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth, currently held by Apollo 13 at 248,655 miles.
While this marks the second space mission for Wiseman, Glover, and Koch, Artemis 2 represents Jeremy Hansen’s inaugural spaceflight. Furthermore, it will be the first instance of a non-American astronaut traveling to the lunar vicinity.
Artemis 2 serves as a crucial test flight, paving the way for establishing a lasting human presence on the Moon. This week, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, alongside other agency leaders, detailed comprehensive plans for a lunar base during extensive presentations.
Isaacman’s administration has decided to shift focus from the Moon-orbiting Gateway space station towards lunar surface operations. The administrator emphasized that Gateway is currently ‘paused,’ not ‘canceled,’ leaving open the possibility of its reconsideration in the future.
In a broader restructuring of the Artemis program, aimed at accelerating mission frequency and preparing for a lunar landing by 2028 at the earliest, Isaacman announced last month that the Artemis 3 mission would now operate in Earth orbit. Its primary objective will be docking with lunar landers from either SpaceX or Blue Origin, or both.
The revised Artemis 3 mission is slated for launch in 2027 using a Space Launch System rocket. However, Isaacman indicated that NASA is still refining mission specifics, noting the agency might forgo using its final Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, which serves as the SLS rocket’s upper stage.
Isaacman previously stated on March 12 that further details regarding the mission are expected to be released publicly within the next 60 to 90 days.
