NASA is sending a new rocket into space this year, called the Artemis ll. The name Artemis originates from a Greek goddess, known for being the goddess of wildlife and the moon. The original Artemis had been sent into space on December 11th of 2022. Additionally, the rocket was also being checked for how helpful it is in assisting astronauts and protecting the passengers in case of emergencies. The Artemis rocket ll has the same plan as the original Artemis rocket: to test new functions of the ship and its effectiveness throughout the mission. The Mission is a 10 day trip around the earth and moon and will be travelling on a higher altitude than the Apollo missions in 1978.
The rocket consists of three main areas: the service module, the crew module, and the launch abort system. The crew module is the space used for working and everyday activities, with advanced engineering such as the heat shield. NASA had improved parts of the ship, especially the forward bay cover and heat shields for the crew. The heat shield is located at the lower part of the ship, where the rocket becomes the hottest. According to NASA, it can withstand about 25,000 mph and 5,000 °F, or about half of the sun’s heat. Another important aspect of the crew module is the forward bay cover, the forward bay cover parachutes the rocket in orbital flight, re-entry, and landing of the spacecraft. Additionally, the forward bay cover after entering the earth’s atmosphere once more, is jettisoned at an altitude of 23,000 feet and is located at the top of the crew module, and has the same thermal protection tiles as the heat shield. Another important aspect of the ship is the service module,which acts as the powerhouse of the rocket. Lastly, the launch abort system is able to carry the team to a safe landing in case of emergency. It also has heat protection, although not as strong as the crew module.
The crew of the Artemis ll has 4 astronauts: Reid Wiseman the commander, Victor Glover the pilot, Christinia Koch the first mission specialist, and Jermey Hansen the second mission specialist. All members of the Artemis ll crew have completed over 300 scientific experiments together beforehand, and all have multiple bachelor degrees from military science and medicine to science engineering. Chrstinia had even set the world record for the longest single spaceflight for a woman, which was 328 days out in space.
The Artemis II is sure to create another revolutionary moment in American history. NASA’s goal, and many others in the space station industry, is to find another planet suitable for human life. Many are also attempting to send people to other planets to expand human civilization, and Artemis II is able to bring that dream ever closer to becoming reality for the human race.
