Artemis 2 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Artemis II

Summary of the Artemis II mission plan
Names	Artemis 2 Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2)
Mission type	Crewed lunar flyby
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	10 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Orion CM-003
Crew
Crew size	4
Members	Reid Wiseman Victor Glover Christina Koch Jeremy Hansen
Start of mission
Launch date	November 2024 (planned)
Rocket	SLS Block 1
Launch site	Kennedy, LC-39B
Contractor	NASA
End of mission
Recovered by	U.S. Navy (San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock)
Landing site	Pacific Ocean (planned)
Flyby of Moon
Distance	7,400 km (4,600 mi) (planned)
(L-R) Koch, Glover (top), Wiseman (bottom), and Hansen. Artemis program ← Artemis 1 Artemis 3 →

Artemis 2 (also called Artemis II) is the second mission in NASA's Artemis program. It will be the first time astronauts fly the Orion spacecraft. This mission is planned to launch in November 2024.

The Artemis 2 mission will send a crewed Orion spacecraft on a trip around the Moon. The spacecraft will then return safely to Earth. This will be the first time humans travel to the Moon or beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

This mission was first called Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2). It was supposed to collect samples from an asteroid. This asteroid would have been placed in orbit around the Moon by a robot mission. However, that asteroid mission was canceled. The mission was then renamed Artemis 2 as part of the new Artemis program.

What is the Artemis 2 Mission?

The main goal of Artemis 2 is to send four astronauts around the Moon. They will use the Orion spacecraft and the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This trip could last up to 21 days.

The mission will send the Orion spacecraft into a very high orbit around Earth. This orbit will take about 42 hours. During this time, the crew will check all of the spacecraft's systems. They will also practice flying close to the rocket's upper stage, which will be empty.

Once Orion is in the right position, its main engine will fire. This will send the spacecraft on a path to the Moon. It will fly around the Moon and then use the Moon's gravity to help it return to Earth.

How Did Artemis 2 Come About?

In 2017, Artemis 2 (then called Exploration Mission-2) was planned differently. It was going to use a more powerful version of the SLS rocket. The idea was for astronauts to meet an asteroid that a robot had moved into lunar orbit. The astronauts would then do spacewalks and collect samples.

However, the asteroid mission was canceled in April 2017. A new plan was made for an eight-day mission. This mission would send four astronauts on a trip around the Moon and back. Another idea was to take the astronauts to deliver the first part of a space station near the Moon, called the Deep Space Gateway.

In March 2018, it was decided that the first Gateway part would launch on a different rocket. This was because of delays in building the special launch platform for the more powerful SLS rocket. The Falcon Heavy rocket was chosen instead.

Artist's idea of the Orion spacecraft flying near the Moon.

In early 2023, important parts of the Artemis 2 rocket were put together. On April 3, 2023, NASA announced the four astronauts who will fly on the mission.

Who Are the Artemis 2 Astronauts?

The Artemis 2 mission will have four astronauts. Three of them are from the United States, and one is from Canada. This mission is special because it is expected to include the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit.

The Canadian astronaut is part of a special agreement between the United States and Canada. Future missions are also expected to have astronauts from other countries, like Europe and Asia.

NASA announced the crew at a special event in Houston, Texas.

Prime crew

Position	Astronaut
Commander	G. Reid Wiseman, NASA Second spaceflight
Pilot	Victor J. Glover, NASA Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1	Christina Koch, NASA Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2	Jeremy Hansen, CSA First spaceflight

What About Small Satellites?

NASA once planned for Artemis 2 to carry small satellites called CubeSats. These CubeSats would have been launched after the Orion spacecraft separated from the rocket.

This image shows where small CubeSats could be placed on the rocket.

However, in October 2021, NASA decided not to include any CubeSats on the Artemis 2 mission.

How Will Artemis 2 Talk to Earth?

Artemis 2 will test a new way to communicate with Earth. It will use a system called the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O). This system uses lasers to send data.

The O2O system will be built into the Orion spacecraft. It has a special telescope and other equipment. It will send data to ground stations in California and New Mexico. This new system can send data very fast, up to 260 megabits per second.

When Will Artemis 2 Launch?

The launch date for Artemis 2 has changed several times. In 2011, it was thought to be between 2019 and 2021. Later, it was pushed back to 2023.

As of March 2023, the mission is planned for November 2024. However, some parts from the Artemis 1 mission need to be reused. This might cause the launch to be delayed until later in 2024 or early 2025.

Are There Other Missions Like Artemis 2?

Missions That Have Flown

In 1968, the Apollo 8 mission was a lot like Artemis 2. It had three astronauts: Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders. Their goal was to test the Apollo spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit. Like Artemis 2, it was a crewed mission that did not land on the Moon. However, Apollo 8 orbited the Moon 10 times.

Apollo 13 (1970) was another Apollo mission that flew past the Moon. It used a special path called a free-return trajectory, just like Artemis 2 plans to do.

Proposed Future Missions

In 2005, a company called Space Adventures announced plans for space tourism. They wanted to take two tourists very close to the Moon (within 100 km). They would use a Soyuz spacecraft flown by a professional cosmonaut. This mission, called DSE-Alpha, was priced at US$150 million per seat. It was expected to last 8–9 days. One seat was sold, but the mission has been delayed because the second seat is still available.

SpaceX also proposed a lunar tourism mission for late 2018. This mission would have been similar to Artemis 2, with two space tourists flying around the Moon and back to Earth. They would have used the Crew Dragon capsule and the Falcon Heavy rocket.

After the first Falcon Heavy flight in 2018, SpaceX decided to focus on their Starship rocket for crewed flights. On September 14, 2018, SpaceX announced that a Japanese businessman named Yusaku Maezawa had bought a seat for a mission called #dearMoon project. He plans to invite 6 to 8 artists to join him on this trip around the Moon using Starship.

Images for kids

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  Summary of the Artemis II mission plan

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  (L-R) Koch, Glover (top), Wiseman (bottom), and Hansen.

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  Artist's rendition of the Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit.

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  MPCV Stage Adapter for CubeSat spring-loaded dispensers

See Also

In Spanish: Artemis 2 para niños