On April 1, a new NASA flight took off from the Kennedy Space Center: Artemis II. This ten-day mission was the first crewed flight that went beyond low Earth orbit in over 50 years. With a revolutionary crew and mission, all of us should know about Artemis II.
The Mission
Artemis II was a “crewed lunar flyby” mission, which means four astronauts circled around the Moon, but did not touch down. This mission was the second in NASA’s Artemis program; Artemis I was an unmanned orbit of the Moon in 2022. All Artemis missions are NASA’s attempt to re-establish human exploration on the Moon and eventually Mars. The last time humans set foot on the Moon was with the Apollo 17 mission in 1972!
Besides collecting images and minimal scientific data, this mission tested humans’ compatibility with the spacecraft. Would the mission be just as successful as Artemis I if real people were on board? How will the astronauts showcase courage and optimism during the mission?
Artemis II touched down on Earth on April 11, giving NASA some great markers that will help put humans back on the Moon.
The Crew
Every member of the crew on Artemis II broke some sort of astronaut record when traveling beyond low Earth orbit! At age 50, Commander Reid Wiseman was the oldest human to travel out there, Victor Glover is the first Black man, Christina Koch is the first woman, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen is the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
This crew is a great step towards more representation in space and aeronautics. I was especially moved by this picture, posted on April 6, where we see a braid on Christina Koch backlit by our planet. Braids are a tradition of strength and femininity across all cultures, so seeing that symbol in space is incredibly powerful.Â
What we’ve learned
The mission had some great scientific finds: unique geological features like the Orientale basin, differences in color noted by the human eye (which signal mineral composition), and even a solar eclipse. However, it’s really been the public’s interest in the astronauts and mission that has proven the most successful. Not only was the Artemis spacecraft compatible with astronaut life, people back on Earth were invested in its success. The crew has become an inspiration, and many people have followed along the entire mission from launch to landing. If NASA wants to put humans back on the Moon, humanity is behind them.