NASA’s most recent spaceflight mission, Artemis II, is now in the home stretch of its 10-day journey.
Artemis II on Monday night began its return trip home after successfully completing a loop around the moon. The crew journeyed 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled into space.
The Artemis II crew is scheduled for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday. Assuming its success when it touches down, NASA will launch its next mission – Artemis III – next year.
What Is Artemis III?
Artemis III is the midpoint of the planned missions for NASA’s Artemis program, currently a five-pronged space initiative to return to the moon with the intention of establishing a permanent base there.
The first of the Artemis missions was launched in November 2022, sending an uncrewed test flight on a 1.4 million-mile journey around the moon and back to Earth.
Artemis III is scheduled to launch its crew in an Orion spacecraft on top of a Space Launch System rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
What Is the Goal for Artemis III?
The Artemis III mission is designed to test the skills that will be required to land on the moon.
The Artemis missions have already made great strides in that effort. Artemis II carried humans beyond Earth’s orbit for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. The next challenge is replicating the moon landing.
NASA’s Human Landing System program is working with commercial firms Space X and Blue Origin to develop a lander, or a spacecraft that will allow astronauts to travel from lunar orbit to the surface of the moon and back. The companies have developed different versions of a landing spacecraft.
NASA in February announced a new mission focus for Artemis III, which will launch into low Earth orbit and test out docking capabilities with one or both of the different versions of the landing craft.
Has the Artemis III Crew Been Announced?
Sign Up for U.S. News Decision Points
Your trusted source for breaking down the latest news from Washington and beyond, delivered weekdays.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you will receive the latest updates, including emails, from U.S. News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors, and you agree to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.
What Comes After Artemis III?
Artemis IV and V will follow, barring any issues in previous missions, with the goal of landing on the moon.
Beginning with Artemis IV in 2028, the uncrewed lander will be launched into lunar orbit to wait for a crew. Once the Orion spacecraft arrives in orbit, two astronauts will transfer to the lander and drop down to the surface of the moon.
The lander will be multipurpose, acting as a living space for astronauts while they are on the moon. The crew will use this access to collect samples and test technology to learn more about the moon’s environment.
While NASA had focused on building a space station orbiting the moon called Gateway, the agency last month announced it was prioritizing a base on the surface of the moon itself, with missions to the moon’s surface now planned to be undertaken annually.
NASA has been clear about its ambitions. The space administration is in the process of creating a lunar space station on the moon with a larger goal of one day exploring other planets, including Mars.
Photos: Artemis II Mission
