NASA’s Artemis lunar mission could launch from Florida within a month. What to know

Four astronauts are on the verge of becoming the first humans to venture near the moon in more than half a century since the end of NASA’s iconic Apollo era.

As early as February, the crew of a mission known as Artemis 2 will board the US space agency’s Orion capsule atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket in Florida for a 10-day trip around the moon.

The mission does not yet include plans for a moon landing. Instead, the four astronauts will embark on a cosmic journey that will set the stage for future astronauts to walk on the lunar surface for years to come.

Why has NASA had a renewed interest in the Moon decades since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to reach its surface? It’s all part of a larger plan to get to Mars by establishing a permanent human lunar presence.

Here’s everything you need to know about Artemis 2 and how the mission fits into NASA’s larger goals for space exploration.

Spaceflight in 2026: How the Florida Space Coast will play a central role in crucial launches

What are the NASA Artemis missions?

NASA’s Artemis program is the agency’s ambitious campaign to return Americans to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

In the coming years, NASA’s Artemis campaign aims to launch a series of manned missions to establish a continued human presence on the Moon with a lunar settlement at the south pole. From there, the water ice believed to be abundant in the region could be extracted and used for drinking, breathing, and as a source of hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel.

Why does NASA want to go to the moon?

Ultimately, Artemis reflects NASA’s Moon-to-Mars approach to bringing the first humans to the Red Planet.

The lunar settlement — which includes plans for a nuclear reactor — would serve as a base of operations to make possible other manned space missions, including trips to Mars.

When was the last time Americans landed on the moon?

The last American astronaut to land on the Moon was on December 19, 1972, during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission. In all, NASA astronauts have been to the Moon on six separate Apollo missions, beginning with Apollo 11 in 1969.

What is Artemis 2? Orion capsule to take 4 astronauts around the moon

The crew of Artemis 2 is set to explore the moon in a 10-day journey.

The Orion capsule the crew will fly – built by Lockheed Martin – is set to travel about 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth. From this vantage point, astronauts should be able to see Earth and the Moon from the capsule’s windows — with our planet nearly a quarter-million miles away, according to NASA.

The planned trajectory for the four-day return trip will use Earth’s gravity to naturally pull Orion back home after flying past the Moon, eliminating the need for propulsion or much fuel.

When will Artemis 2 be released?

NASA’s Artemis 2 mission could lift off as early as February 6 and no later than April.

The mission would come more than three years after Artemis 1 launched on Nov. 16, 2022, from the Kennedy Space Center, sending the Orion capsule on an unmanned lunar orbit mission in the vehicle’s first test.

Who are the Artemis 2 astronauts?

Here’s a look at Artemis 2’s crew of four:

• NASA astronaut Victor Gloverpilot from Pomona, California, who flew into space in 2020 on a SpaceX mission to the space station.

• Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansenanother mission specialist who will fly into space for the first time.

Koch and Glover represent the first woman and first African-American, respectively, assigned to a NASA lunar mission. In addition, Hansen is set to become the first Canadian to fly close to the moon, according to Reuters.

When would a moon landing happen?

Although no lunar landing is in preparation for the Artemis 2 astronauts, the mission plays a vital role in testing the spacecraft’s systems and hardware needed for future expeditions to the lunar surface.

The first of these could happen no earlier than 2027 with the much more ambitious Artemis 3 mission, which will bring astronauts to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than half a century.

Where will the Artemis missions launch in Florida?

Both the Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 missions will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center along Florida’s Space Coast near Cape Canaveral. The astronauts themselves will be aboard an Orion capsule at Launch Complex 39B, which will take a ride from Earth’s atmosphere atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman.

Artemis 2 will be the first time the giant 322-foot-tall SLS rocket and Orion capsule will fly with humans on board.

Contributing: Brooke Edwards, FLORIDA TODAY; Reuters

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASA’s pivotal human mission could launch in Florida in February