NASA, as the innovative organization that they are, is boldly committed to sending the first woman, and the next man to the moon by 2024. Via the currently evolving Artemis program, the agency is actually busily engaged in activities that are centered on ensuring that the project is ready for launch in the desired time frame. Despite the current pandemic, NASA has successfully managed to launch missions such as the Demo-2 mission, and via the appropriate precaution, the organization will also be poised to take on the Artemis lunar missions and the activities required to achieve its objectives. The Artemis lunar exploration mission is one that the entire world will have their sights on. As a mission that is highly innovative from various perspectives, new technologies are being employed in order to ensure that the new astronauts are not only comfortable, but safe enough on the moon’s surface to do their jobs.
With every effort, there is a start and an evolution to the next phases, so once we master the Moon, it’s on to the rest of the solar system. In life, there are certain things that you do because they are challenges that enable you to evolve and grow. Artemis is a stretch challenge, and we are confident that the scientists and engineers will be able to accomplish the demands of this challenge.
What is the purpose of the Artemis program?
The Apollo missions ended in 1972, and for various geopolitical and economic reasons, no other nation has returned to that frontier since. Once again, with the Artemis program, the aim is to ensure that the missions to the moon are restarted, in order for us to learn more about the ecosystem. Artemis, is the twin sister of Apollo, and in keeping with the tradition, it is only right that this mission be an optimized version of the first one. The objectives of the Artemis mission include:
New technology development: Innovation is in all aspects of the aerospace industry. With the new wave of spacecraft that is being developed for the Artemis mission, there is also new technology being invested into the spacesuits that the astronauts will be wearing. As custom units to the bodies of the astronauts, the space suits are able to allow the astronauts to survive for up to six days outside the spacecraft, and also enable the astronauts to do things like bend and stretch in order to collect lunar samples. The Apollo space suits did have their limitations, and now with the advances in material sciences, it is now possible to have more lightweight space suits that have even more capabilities than the previous space suits from the Apollo era. From an aesthetic perspective, they actually look quite appealing.
Even the lunar orbit will get new additions. There will be a system built right outside the lunar orbit, designed in much the same way that the international space station is designed. Astronauts will be able to dock and live in that unit, and then be able to go on missions to the Moon’s surface as desired. The innovation experienced in the Artemis missions are designed to inspire a new generation of STEM graduates to look at their world from a fresh perspective. Careers don’t have to be standard STEM careers when Jupiter and beyond are the future. Think outside the box.
The Artemis mission will also be an international collaboration and will involve the contributions of various countries globally, inclusive of The United States, Russia, Japan and Canada. The efforts will establish American leadership presence on the Moon.
The beauty of the Artemis program is its ability to be able to reinvent the American dream of Space Exploration. With a new vision, the energy to accomplish things is tripled. Technological innovation is the cornerstone of advancing nations, and it often is that there’s a transfer of energy from one sphere to the next. With technologies from the army once utilized to inspire space missions, the activities of exploration are now in their full form and inspiring generations of young scientists and engineers to be bold in their aspirations and venture towards the new. Humans are evolving in consciousness, and as we allow ourselves to embrace those changes, Mars and beyond will be the limit. Artemis is a stretch project, and even in our daily lives, we can challenge ourselves to think beyond the ordinary.