After Monday's test launch, NASA's Artemis program envisions a sustained presence on and around the moon as a stepping-stone to Mars.
and the Orion crew capsule that will eventually carry astronauts back to the moon. The 42-day test flight is set for launch Monday at 8:33 a.m. EDT.
But for the Artemis 3 mission and subsequent flights to the surface, NASA planners have settled on what's known as a near-rectilinear halo orbit, or NRHO, a hugely elliptical polar orbit with a low point, or perilune, of about 1,000 miles and a high point, or apolune, of roughly 43,000 miles above the moon's south pole.
"NRHO enables global lunar access," said Nujoud Merancy, chief of the Exploration Mission Planning Office at the Johnson Space Center."It's highly fuel efficient, especially when compared to other types of orbits around the moon." An artist's impression of an Orion spacecraft closing in for docking at NASA's planned Gateway space station in orbit around the moon."NRHO will give Gateway a continuous line of sight or view of Earth, so we get uninterrupted communication," Merancy said."And as the Gateway vehicle travels in deep space, its presence opens up a lot of opportunities for radiation and the greater analysis of space weather on people and instruments for future exploration.
Other companies are developing designs for follow-on landers. How that might play out remains to be seen, but NASA appears to be committed to building the Gateway space station, which also could be used for lunar research missions that do not include a landing.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Artemis Launch Weather May Not Cooperate Monday Morning | The Weather ChannelWeather plays a major role in every rocket launch. Artemis 1 is one of the biggest in history. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com
Read more »
Artemis 1 moon mission ready for epic test flight on SLS megarocket, NASA saysArtemis 1 is set to lift off on Monday (Aug. 29).
Read more »
NASA prepares for launch Monday, “War Eagle” to join the rideAuburn University (AU) is going to the moon!
Read more »
NASA set for Artemis 1 launch of mega moon rocket Monday, the first mission of its kind since 1972Artemis I, the first human-class mission to be aimed at the moon since 1972, has received its license to fly, NASA officials said this week.
Read more »
NASA's Artemis 1 mission will blast off Monday (Aug. 29). Here's how to watch.The spacecraft will zip around the moon and back before landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Read more »