As part of ongoing space missions intended to extend the amount of time that humans may spend away from our planet, NASA plans to have astronauts living and working on the moon’s surface by 2030.
Habitats on the lunar surface will be necessary to support the next research missions, according to Howard Hu, NASA’s program manager for the Orion lunar spacecraft. He referred to Wednesday’s launch of the Artemis rocket, which is carrying Orion, as a momentous day for human space flight on Sunday.
NASA’s Artemis Mission
The Orion spacecraft is now located about 134,000 kilometers from the moon. The Kennedy Space Center served as the launchpad for the 100-meter-tall rocket. NASA’s mission to return people to Earth’s satellite included the launch.
The Orion spacecraft is mounted atop the Artemis rocket. It is unscrewed for this first voyage but has a manikin that would record flight impacts and simulate how a human body would feel them.
The Artemis rocket’s two prior attempts to launch, in August and September, were similarly followed by the flight on Wednesday. Officials stopped the attempts during the countdown due to technical difficulties.
Hu described seeing the Artemis rocket launch as an unbelievable feeling and a dream, adding that the occasion marked the space agency’s first step toward long-term deep space exploration for both the United States and the rest of the world.
NASA intends to construct Artemis Base Camp, which will include a contemporary lunar cabin and a mobile home. These will enable humans to spend up to two months on the lunar surface.
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NASA Will Include Base Camps in Lunar Orbit
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According to a spokeswoman for the organization, NASA intends to capitalize on the momentum created by that human return mission in four years. After that, the space agency intends to deploy a crew to the moon at least once per year. Early missions would involve brief surface stays, the official continued, but as the base camp develops, it is their intention to enable crew stays of longer durations.
The dilemma arises as NASA conducts many tests and experiments that will help the agency deploy astronauts on extended stays on the lunar surface. NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) tested a pressurized lunar rover prototype last month in northern Arizona.
Once astronauts reach the moon’s surface, the device will fly with the Artemis mission. The present model of the vehicle features six independently rotating wheels and provides a turbulent ride over uneven terrain. Compared to a family van, it also provides a little bit more room for movement.
The experiment, which was carried out by NASA in collaboration with JAXA, was intended to carry astronauts to scientific places of interest and would let them work for several days away from Earth, according to Desert RATS program mission Marc Reagan.