What is Artemis 2 Mission?

About Artemis 2 Mission:

• It will be the first mission to carry humans to the moon’s vicinity since 1972.
• It is the second scheduled flight of the Artemis program and the first crewed Artemis mission. 
• During Artemis II, four astronauts will fly around the moon before returning to Earth.
• It will use the huge Space Launch System (SLS) mega-rocket and Orion spacecraft to launch the crew on the lunar flyby mission.
• It will include three astronauts from NASA and one from the Canadian Space Agency.  
• The astronauts and mission controllers will collect data on Orion and the crew’s performance to assess how ready the Artemis program is to send people to the moon’s surface.

Key Facts of Artemis Program:

• It is NASA’s program to return astronauts to the Moon, preparing the way for human missions to Mars.
• It aim to “land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon“, explore the lunar surface.
• The Artemis program includes the construction of the Lunar Gateway space station in orbit around the Moon.
• Artemis I: An uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft, launched on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on November 16, 2022.

Q1) What is the Orion spacecraft?

The Orion spacecraft, officially known as the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (Orion MPCV), is a NASA spacecraft designed for human spaceflight missions beyond low Earth orbit. It is a critical component of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence there.

Source: NASA moves mobile launcher to launchpad for Artemis 2 crewed Moon mission tests

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