It’s Headed To The Moon (Sort of)

The Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will carry four astronauts around the Moon. It is the first mission in the Artemis series to carry humans. Those astronauts are Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. While reports say Artemis II is going to the moon, it is technically going around the moon. It will travel 1.4 million miles in its journey beyond the moon and back, according to NASA.

Humans Are Leaving Low Earth Orbit For The First Time In Over 50 Years

Future Artemis missions will take humans to the surface of the Moon. Why does this matter? “We’re going back to the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers,” said NASA’s website. The 4.5 billion year old time capsule will also serve as a staging base that will ultimately get humans to Mars. Who cares about that when we have problems here? We all should. While we are all Earthbound, future generations will likely not be able to rely solely on Earth, especially given the stress that it is under right now.

Artemis II represents the first time humans will leave low earth orbit since the days of Apollo over a half century ago. Additionally, the shape of its path around the moon could set a record for greatest distance humans have traveled into space. NASA is targeting 2028 for a lunar landing after the Artemis III test mission.

Artemis Missions Have Multiple Components

“The Orion spacecraft will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry and sustain the crew on Artemis missions to the moon and return them safely to Earth…. Orion will launch on NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the SLS (Space Launch System),” wrote NASA. Space travel is not trivial, so many systems and procedures need to be tested over the next two years. In future missions, the crew will transfer from Orion to a commercially-provided lunar lander that will descend to the surface of the moon.

The Orion and SLS have been connected for over a decade, but current political funding battles between Congress and the Administration have raised questions. "In President Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2026, the White House sought to terminate funding for Orion and the SLS rocket after the Artemis III mission, which would mean there are just two flights remaining,” wrote Eric Berger at Ars Technica. He went on to say, “Congress countered by saying that NASA should continue flying the spacecraft and rocket through Artemis V.”

Artemis II Crew Will Make History

As an African American scientist, I write with pride that Victor Glover will be the first African American to travel to the moon and around it. He is also serving as pilot of the mission. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which is a part of the National Panhellenic Council. My fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is in that same Council, which adds an additional marker of pride for us all. Other history-making accomplishments include the first woman (Christina Koch) and first Canadian (Jeremy Hansen) to travel this far into space. For some people, these facts may not matter, but as someone firmly rooted in STEM, you never know who these pioneers might inspire. They just need to see them. I saw Dr. George Washington Carver and Dr. Warren Washington. The rest is history.

The Launch Was Captured By A Weather Satellite

The launch of Artemis was actually captured by one of our weather satellites. The plume is seen in the image below and is always a sight to see during such launches. And to be clear, it is just exhaust from the SLS rocket not weather manipulation or a mind-controlling trail, but I digress.

As a former NASA Earth Scientist, I am very attentive to the space agency’s broad portfolio of activities and its recent budget or personnel challenges. Yet, NASA and its contractors have stayed the course. Artemis II is a point of pride for all Americans and that should be something we all agree on. Many years of scientific research, technological development, and innovation under several administrations and groups of Congress got us to this point. Let’s keep going.