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Updated November 18, 2020
Artemis: NASA's Program to Return Humans to the Moon
Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo programof the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
landed 12 American men on the Moon and returned them
s afely to Earth (see Figure 1). Since then, no human has
been farther fromEarth than low-Earth orbit, afewhundied
miles up; the distance to the Moon is about240,000 miles.
Artemis,named forApollo's twin sisterin ancient Greek
mythology, is NASA's programfora return to the Moonby
American astronauts-one of thema woman-in 2024.
Figure I. The Last Human Lunar Mission: Apollo I 7
Source: NASA, https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/
apollol 7/html/as17-134-20382.html.
Note: This image shows Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt
standing on the surface of the Moon on December 13, 1972. Behind
him are the Lunar Module lander andthe Lunar Roving Vehicle rover.
and The Space Launch System
Artemis has evolved fromplans initiated in the NASA
Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-267). The act
established a statutory goalofexpand[ing] permanent
human presence beyond low-Earth orbit andmandatedthe
development of a crew capsule and a heavy -lift rocket to
accomplish that goal. The capsule, now known as Orion,
and the rocket,known as the Space Iunch System(SLS),
have beenin development since then (s ee Figure 2).
Each Orion capsule consists of a crew module with room
for four to six astronauts as well as storage space and a
docking port; a service module (contributed by the
European Space Agency) to provide power and propulsion;
and a launch abort system. The crew module is the only
portion intended to return to Earth at the end of a mis sion; it
is designedto be reusable.
The SLS is an expendable rocket designed to carry Orion
into space and set it on its initial trajectory. The SLS could
also potentially be used for other missions involving heavy
payloads or requiring veryhigh thrust. It is designed to be
upgraded in stages (known as Block 1, Block 1B, and Block
2) by substituting improved versions of its major elements.
For example, for Block 1B, NASA is developing the
Exploration Upper Stage to replace the Block 1 upper stage,
which is known as the InterimCryog enic Propulsion Stage.
In December 2014, a partially complete Orion was
launched on a Delta IV Heavy rocket and orbited Earth
twice before splashing downin the Pacific Ocean. This
uncrewed mission testedthe crew module's heat shield and
parachutes,as wellas othersystems.
The first flight of Orion on an SLS is expected in
November2021. During this mission,knownas Artemis I,
a complete but uncrewed Orion is to orbit the Moon before
returning to Earth. The mission is intended to provide the
data NASA needs to certify safety for crewed flights.
Artemis II, the first crewed test of Orion and the SLS, is
expected in August 2023. During this 10-day mis sion,
Orion and its crew of 4 are to fly around the Moon at an
altitude of about 4,000 miles before retuming to Earth.
The Artemis Ill mis sion, planned for 2024, is to include the
first human Moon landing since 1972. Achieving that goal
would require the development of other systems, such as a
lunar lander. Detailed plans for Artemis III are not yet
finalized.
Figure 2. Major Elements of SLS and Orion
Source: CRS illustration based on NASAdiagramsat
https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/overview.html and
https://oig.nasa.gov/docs/G-20-018.pdf.
Upperystem
stage
Core
Stage
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