Moon Mission Set for Launch Today
By Science Correspondent
A new mission to the Moon is due to launch today, marking a major step forward in space exploration.
The flight, known as Artemis II, will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. It’s the first crewed mission beyond Earth’s orbit since the era of the Apollo program.
Four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — will travel aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, launched on the Space Launch System.
Rather than landing, the crew will fly around the Moon and return to Earth.
The mission is expected to last about 10 days and is mainly a test run for future flights.
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Scientists and engineers will be watching closely to see how the spacecraft performs with people on board, especially its life-support systems and communications. The data gathered will help prepare for later missions that aim to land astronauts on the lunar surface again.
The mission is part of NASA’s wider plan to return humans to the Moon and eventually send crews on to Mars.
If all goes to plan, today’s launch will mark the beginning of a new phase of human space travel — one that builds on the past but looks firmly to the future.
To learn more about the Artemis program, visit:
