New Delhi: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson revealed future plans for NASA’s ambitious Artemis programme at the International Astronautical Congress 2024 in Milan, Italy. NASA is returning to the Moon, 50 years after the Apollo missions. This time around, NASA is collaborating closely with international partners, as well as private industries. As part of the Artemis programme, NASA plans to conduct an entire test run of a mission to Mars. Going to Mars is such a tremendous effort, that no space agency can do it alone.
The candidate landing zones of the Artemis III mission. (Image Credit: NASA).
Nelson explained, “We are going to a different part of the Moon, in a different way, with new partners, in order to learn how to live in that environment, how to create, how to invent, how to do all of the things that we have to do, to go all the way to Mars. The Moon is only three or four days away. Under conventional propulsion, Mars is 6, 7, 8 months away. It’s going to be quite an extensive preparation, that’s why we are going back to the Moon.” The landings during the Apollo programme were all close to the equator. With the Artemis programme, NASA is headed to the south pole of the Moon, just like the planned missions of all major spacefaring nations.
Schedule of the Artemis Programme
The Artemis II mission is now scheduled to fly in September 2025, with a crew of four who will circularise the orbit of the Orion capsule around the Moon before returning. The first crewed landing is scheduled for late 2026. The fifth SpaceX Starship test flight was a crucial step in the development process for the vehicle, which is important for NASA as it will provide access to the lunar surface for Artemis astronauts. Blue Origin has bagged a second contract to develop its Blue Moon lander.
