Artemis Program- A Step To Extend Humanity

NASA'S ARTEMIS PROGRAM

 NASA PLAN TO SEND FIRST WOMEN AND NEXT MAN ON MOON BY 2024

What is Artemis?

The Artemis program is an ongoing crewed spaceflight program carried out predominantly by NASA, U.S. commercial spaceflight companies, and international partners such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Australian Space Agency (ASA) with the goal of landing "the first woman and the next man" on the Moon, specifically at the lunar south pole region by 2024.[2] NASA sees Artemis as the next step towards the long-term goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon, laying the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy, and eventually sending humans to Mars.

Why Go to the Moon?

With the Artemis program we will:

• Demonstrate new technologies, capabilities, and business approaches needed for future exploration including Mars
• Establish American leadership and a strategic presence on the Moon while expanding our U.S. global economic impact
• Broaden our commercial and international partnerships
• Inspire a new generation and encourage careers in STEM

How NASA will reach?

Nasa will implement this mission with the help of advanced sustainable technology.

• Commercial Lunar Payload Services

In March 2018, NASA established the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program with the aim of sending small robotic landers and rovers mostly to the lunar south pole region as a precursor to and in support of crewed missions. The main goals include scouting of lunar resources, in situ resource utilization (ISRU) feasibility testing, and lunar science. NASA will award commercial providers indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to develop and fly lunar landers with scientific payloads. 

• VIPER

The VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) is a lunar rover by NASA planned to be delivered to the surface of the Moon as early as December 2022. The rover will be tasked with prospecting for lunar resources in permanently shadowed areas in the lunar south pole region, especially by mapping the distribution and concentration of water ice. The mission builds on a previous NASA rover concept called Resource Prospector, which was canceled in 2018.

The VIPER rover is part of the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program managed by the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, and it is meant to support the crewed Artemis program.

Spacecrafts

1. Orion

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (Orion MPCV) is a class of partially reusable spacecraft used in NASA's human spaceflight programs. Consisting two components – a Crew Module (CM) manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and a European Service Module (ESM) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space – the spacecraft is designed to support crewed exploration beyond low Earth orbit.

2. Lunar Gateway

The Lunar Gateway is a space station under development that will be deployed in lunar orbit. It is intended to serve as a solar-powered communications hub, science laboratory, short-term habitation module, and holding area for rovers and other robots.

3. Advanced Exploration Lander concept

The Advanced Exploration Lander is a three-stage lander concept by a NASA team used as a design reference for commercial proposals. After departure from the Gateway, a transfer module would take the crew to a low lunar orbit and then separate, after which the descent module would handle the rest of the journey to the lunar surface. 

4. Moon Cruiser

Designed by Airbus, the Moon Cruiser is a logistics vehicle based off of the ATV and ESM that will be used to support the Lunar Gateway. It will be part of ESA's contribution to the Lunar Gateway program and is currently in the design process. Launched on the Ariane 6, the vehicle will be able to refuel lunar landers and deliver cargo to the Gateway.

 On March 27, 2020, SpaceX revealed the Dragon XL resupply spacecraft to carry pressurized and unpressurized cargo, experiments and other supplies to NASA's planned Lunar Gateway under a Gateway Logistics Services (GLS) contract. The equipment delivered by Dragon XL missions could include sample collection materials, spacesuits and other items astronauts may need on the Gateway and on the surface of the Moon.

5. Dragon XL

On March 27, 2020, SpaceX revealed the Dragon XL resupply spacecraft to carry pressurized and unpressurized cargo, experiments and other supplies to NASA's planned Lunar Gateway under a Gateway Logistics Services (GLS) contract. The equipment delivered by Dragon XL missions could include sample collection materials, spacesuits and other items astronauts may need on the Gateway and on the surface of the Moon.

The objectives of the mission

A wide range of observations of the Moon's interaction with the solar wind is planned, while also investigating clues about its planetary structure and evolution, including:

i) Particle acceleration, reconnection, and turbulence in the magnetosphere and in the solar wind

ii) 3-D mapping of the lunar wake induced by the solar wind at a range of downstream distances

iii) Measuring selected magnetic anomalies in the lunar crust

iv) Measuring the lunar exosphere and surface charging

v) Characterizing the near-terminator exosphere by coordinating measurements with NASA's upcoming Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission.
vi) One of the main objectives of this mission is to explore the south pole of the moon. Nasa is looking to build a permanent presence of humans on the human.
vii) After making a permanent presence on the moon Nasa will look to pursue a mission towards Mars from the moon.

Missions

7 Artemis flights will be launched until 2028

Artemis-1 (Test Flight)
Launch date - 2021 
Uncrewed

Artemis-2 (Test Flight)
Launch Date - 2022
Crewed (4 Members)

Artemis-3
Launch Date- 2024
Crewed( 2 Members)

Artemis-4
Launch Date- 2025
Crewed( TBA)

Artemis-5
Launch Date- 2026
Crewed( TBA)

Artemis-6
Launch Date- 2027
Crewed( TBA)

Artemis-7
Launch Date- 2028
Crewed( TBA)

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