Decades after humans last traveled beyond low Earth orbit, NASA’s Artemis II mission is preparing to take astronauts around the moon.
The four-person crew, including NASA mission commander Reid Wiseman, NASA pilot Victor Glover, NASA flight engineer Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, reached the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete their final training.
NASA’s Artemis II mission will conduct tests on spacecraft systems, including life support systems, navigation and communications systems, and Orion’s heat shield system.
“The nation and the world have been waiting a long time to do this again,” Wiseman said, adding that the team is “really excited to do this.”
Training and technology behind NASA’s Artemis II
The Artemis II mission will use the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to send the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day lunar mission.
Development of the SLS rocket is being funded by Boeing, while Northrop Grumman is providing funding for its boosters and Lockheed Martin is developing its Orion spacecraft.
The astronauts have been training for their upcoming NASA mission on Artemis II for more than two years and have been in quarantine since March 18.
The Artemis II mission will deliver several firsts and historic moments. Glover will become the first black astronaut to approach the moon, while Koch will become the first woman to do so, and Hansen will become the first non-American astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
Wiseman, Glover and Koch have previous space experience, while Hansen is making his first flight. “NASA’s Artemis II is a test mission and we are ready for any scenario,” Wiseman said.
