It has been over five decades since humans last set foot on the moon, but a significant change is on the horizon. NASA’s ambitious Artemis program is gearing up for a groundbreaking event with Artemis II. This upcoming mission will involve four astronauts, including Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover, who are set to orbit the moon.
The scheduled launch date for this mission is no earlier than February 6. However, before the four astronauts embark on this historic journey, the rocket and spacecraft must undergo meticulous checks. The focal point of these preparations is the rollout of the colossal 100-meter tall Space Launch System (SLS), set to take place on Saturday.
During a press conference on Friday, John Honeycutt, chair of the Artemis II mission management team, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “These are the moments we eagerly anticipate. We are truly making history.”
The SLS and the Orion spacecraft, which will serve as the living quarters for the astronauts during their 10-day mission, have only been launched once for the unmanned Artemis I mission around the moon in 2022. Now, they are poised to carry human passengers on board.
While the astronauts on Artemis II will not touch down on the lunar surface, they will engage in lunar observations, experiments, and spacecraft testing in preparation for Artemis III. This subsequent mission, where astronauts are slated to walk on the moon, is anticipated to launch no earlier than 2028.
The rollout of the rocket is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET on Saturday. The journey of the five million-kilogram rocket to the launch pad is estimated to take between eight to 12 hours. As the rocket moves towards the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), it will take about an hour to cross the threshold.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director for exploration ground systems, mentioned during the press conference that the crew access arm, through which the astronauts will board the rocket on launch day, will be retracted, a process taking approximately 45 minutes.
Once the rocket reaches the pad, all necessary connections will be established over the following day. Subsequently, the focus will shift to the wet dress rehearsal, simulating a launch day scenario with propellant loading. This critical practice run ensures that all systems are operating flawlessly before the final launch authorization.
Notably, Artemis I underwent four wet dress rehearsals over several months before receiving clearance for launch. Addressing concerns about the proximity of the Feb. 2 rehearsal to the Feb. 6 launch window, Blackwell-Thompson emphasized the valuable insights gained from the Artemis I test flight, underscoring the importance of meticulous preparations for mission success.