Explained: How NASA is planning to send humans to the moon again by 2024

News: NASA published the outline for its Artemis program.

Facts:

• ARTEMIS stands for Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun.
• Objectives:
  • Establishing of lunar outpost
  • Investigating the Moon’s resources and how they might be exploited
  • Using Moon as a base to explore Mars and further into deep space
  • Broaden commercial and international partnerships
  • Inspire a new generation and encourage careers in STEM.
• Parts of the Program:
  • Artemis I: to be launched in 2021 and involves an uncrewed flight to test the SLS and Orion spacecraft.
  •  Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test and is targeted for 2023.
  •  Artemis III will land astronauts on the Moon’s South Pole in 2024.

Additional Information:

Previous Moon Missions:

• In 1959, the Soviet Union’s uncrewed Luna 1 and 2 became the first rover to visit the Moon.
• In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the Moon as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission.
• In 2008, India’s first lunar program Chandrayaan 1 was launched.
• In 2009, USA began a new series of robotic lunar missions with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS).