The goal of the Artemis program is to place astronauts on the moon. The program is named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon and Apollo's twin sister.

NASA had previously planned to return humans to the moon. President Trump ordered the agency to focus on missions to the moon. The vice president set a goal to land humans at the lunar south pole by the end of the century.

The Artemis mission wants to use the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to Mars. NASA wants to send astronauts to Mars by the end of the 20th century. With a future target on the Red Planet, the return to the moon will be used to give us knowledge and tools to better navigate our solar system. How can the moon help us get ready for a mission to Mars?

Steven Swanson spoke about the significance of Artemis with Space.com's sister publication, talking about his time in space.

There is a real goal. According to the November 2020 issue, the moon will be used as a testbed. You can't come home early on a Mars mission. You have to wait 15 months for the planets to align correctly again before you can go back.

"We can use the moon as a testbed for other things, to see how we can actually gather materials from the moon itself and possibly use that to make our fuel."

The mission's goals were changed to Artemis.

Bridenstine wants her daughter to be able to see herself in the same position as the next woman who goes to the moon.

First woman on the moon

Jessica Meir and Christina Koch side by side in zero gravity on the ISS.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch on the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA)
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All of the 12 men who walked on the moon were men. There were no women at NASA who had test flight experience when the most experienced astronauts were needed for the high-risk mission. It wasn't until 1978 that NASA chose its first female astronauts that space was seen as an industry for women. 75 women have gone to space, and the Artemis moon landing will serve as a reminder of how far we've come.

One of NASA's astronauts who has already worked on the International Space Station is likely to be chosen. The Artemis team of astronauts included nine women and nine men. All active NASA astronauts are eligible for Artemis missions, which will be decided at a later date.

Artemis' three-part plan

NASA's new megarocket is at the center of the Artemis program. A core stage, upper stage, and twin five-segment solid rocket boosters are part of the SLS. The rocket will launch the spaceship to the moon. The Apollo command modules are designed to carry four astronauts on a mission to the moon.

The Artemis 1 will be in the year 2022.

The first mission will be uncrewed and will be used to test the safety of the SLS rocket and the ability to reach the moon. Small satellites will be carried into space by the SLS rocket.

Technology demonstrations and experimentation. The craft will fly around the moon for six days. On October 10, the mission will come to an end after 42 days.

Artemis 2 will happen in 2024.

Humans have never traveled farther from Earth than the Artemis crew will. During the 10-day mission, the crew will complete a flyby of the moon and return to Earth.

The Artemis 3 will be released in 25 years.

Next man and woman will step on the moon. The astronauts will use the lunar lander to lower two people to the moon's south polar region if previous missions have been a success. They will stay on the moon for a few days.

Earth to moon

What the Artemis project includes

There are several components under the umbrella. A station around the moon called the lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway is the first thing that comes to mind.

NASA is developing a huge new rocket called the SLS that will carry the Gateway to the moon. The four-person crews would stay at the station for 30 to 90 days.

Part of the Trump administration's push towards the moon includes an enlarged role for private companies, which are intended to develop hardware and potentially kick-start a lunar economy. NASA has awarded over forty million dollars to eleven U.S. companies to develop landers that can take astronauts to the moon's surface The Artemis 3 crew landers will be based on the Starship vehicle.

In order to collect data and conduct research there, nine smaller businesses have been contracted to deliver robotic spacecraft. Water, which can be split into hydrogen and oxygen, can be used to make rocket fuel.

Since the Apollo missions, astronauts have not had to walk on the surface of the moon or planets. The next person to walk on the moon will be wearing a brand new spacesuit.

The Artemis generation spacesuits are designed for the mission, one for the launch and landing, and one to protect the bodies of those who are not in the capsule. The purpose of the suits is to improve upon the comfort and practicality of previous versions.

The biggest difference between the old suits and the new ones is in the shoulders. Without a suit on, you can reach around and have more movement.

Mobility on the legs is improved by them. It didn't matter how much mobility you had in your lower body, you didn't really use your legs much on the International Space Station. It will matter a lot on the moon.

Tech check

The capsule and crew must be fired into space by the launch rocket. NASA's new rocket is designed to carry humans into space. It's designed to reach speeds of 25,000 miles per hour, having to travel almost 1,000 times farther than those heading for the International Space Station.

The astronauts are on their way to the moon when the core stage falls away.

Where is Artemis going?

The selected astronauts will fly to the moon's south pole. The area is believed to have the highest amount of water ice in the world. It could be used to sustain human exploration farther into space, for example as a human hydration source, rocket fuel resource, or cooling system for equipment.

There is a large depression in the moon's surface called the Shackleton crater. The low temperatures make it a good place for ice to form.

Some of the lowest temperatures in the solar system can be found in these permanently lightless areas. It's possible that water can be found on the moon's lit surface, but the area with the highest amount of water is the best place to start looking for more natural resources.

How much will Artemis cost?

It's hard to say how many of these plans will actually come to fruition. The cost estimates for Artemis are still being refined. In 1973, the budget for the Apollo program was more than $136 billion, according to NASA. Each Apollo moon landing costs over 20 billion dollars.

NASA's spending is expected to reach $93 billion by the year 2025, with each SLS/Orion launch costing $4.1 billion

Additional resources

You can learn more about the moon to Mars plan at their website. The Apollo program contains information about NASA's first moon missions.

Bibliography

The team is called The Artemis Team. NASA will be up and running in 2020.

Around the Moon with NASA's First Launch of SLS In the year 2021.

NASA's first flight with crew is an important step in the long-term return to the moon. In the year 2021.

The overview is about NASA human exploration and operations. The council is made up of people from NASA.

There is a space launch system NASA will be up and running in 2020.

The Artemis mission is inside NASA. The Royal Museums are located in the area.

The next generation spacesuit is for the Artemis generation of astronauts. NASA released a statement.

The moon's South Pole is in NASA's landing sites. NASA released a statement.