Next week, NASA is launching a
new chapter in space exploration
with the Artemis 1 mission.
The mission is the first phase of a
brand new program called Artemis,
which will pave the way for humans
to go to the moon and beyond.
Here to talk about the historic mission is
NASA deputy program manager Sharon Cobb.
Sharon, thanks for talking with us today.
Have a few questions for you.
We're so excited about this.
I'm interested to know about
this historic mission.
What can you tell us about it?
Well, we are so excited to be here.
Next week, we'll be launching Artemis 1,
the first launch of a very extensive,
complex set of missions that'll
demonstrate the capabilities that we
need to take humans back to the moon.
This is a great opportunity for us to
watch as the Space Launch System propels
the Orion spacecraft into a lunar orbit.
We'll be going over 40,000 miles
farther than we've ever been.
With the human rated spacecraft
on this mission,
and this is just the beginning,
it's so exciting. You talk about,
you know, getting ready to get
back to the moon, but this should
help us eventually get to Mars.
How does all of this come together?
Well, this is just the first mission.
And this will allow us to demonstrate
that capability that we need to put
humans into deep space missions.
And then we'll continue to build on that
and test and launch additional equipment.
And that will allow us to have the
ability to sustain life on the moon.
And with these advanced missions,
the SLS program,
the Space Launch System will be
able to lift even larger payloads.
At the same time that we send the crew,
so that gives us a great opportunity to
build the infrastructure that we need
to learn to live and work on the moon,
and then ultimately to be able to take
that knowledge and send humans to Mars.
Power of 72 is the last manned
mission to the moon where we were
actually on the lunar surface.
A lot has changed between the Apollo
program and the Artemis program.
What are some of the big differences?
Well, the rocket that we're using
for this mission will have a 15%
larger lift capability than we
did with the Apollo missions,
and this time we're also looking
at it as an opportunity to build
an outpost for human exploration
for many years to come.
We'll also be sending the first
woman and the first person of
color to the lunar surface.
And so it's just an incredible
opportunity to build a foundational
capability that allow allow us to do
space exploration for many years to come.
I can only imagine with
NASA targeting the moon,
that has to create so much energy
and excitement within all of NASA
and all of the people that make these
missions work with this new target.
What are you most excited about?
Well, I think I'm most excited
about the world, watching as this
team takes their place in history.
I've had an opportunity to travel
across the country and meet some
of the people that have built
everything from the smallest bolt
to the large 220 foot core stage.
And I've I've gotten to meet some of
the people that assembled all these
components into the enormous rocket
that sits on the launchpad today,
and it's just going to be so exciting.
To hear the roar of those engines
and to watch the the rocket lift
off the launchpad and see all
the hard work from this team be
realized and realize that this is
the future of space exploration.
A small child again.
Of this 70s, there was so
much excitement about the moon
exploration and being there.
Why do you think it's
taken so long to go back?
Well, we've done a lot of things since then.
We had the International Space Station.
We've been living and working
in space for many, many years.
And so this is just the next
step in our adventure and our
exploration of really deep space.
So we'll be doing things with this
mission that we've never done before
and and it's an opportunity for us
to put great new technologies in
place and look forward to the future.
And I wanted to kind of ask a little bit
more about the technology you think about.
What The Pioneers with NASA were
able to accomplish with what now
seems like such crude instruments,
you know, is so basic.
How have these technological
advancements impacted this mission?
I mean, is it making it more complex?
Obviously more ways to gather information,
but but how have things changed so much?
Well, on missions like this and with
the the development of this rocket,
we're using brand new techniques and
manufacturing processes that are just
a great way to use the ingenuity and
the the technology that we've developed
over the years to make it a more
efficient process to build stronger,
more capable rockets.
And so we've come a long way and we're using
all those technologies to our advantage.
Where can our viewers go to
learn more about this flight
and about the Artemis program?
Your viewers can go to nasa.gov/artemis.
We've got lots of resources and
I hope you'll join us as we as we
launch this incredible mission.
We are so excited about it.
Sharon, thank you so much for
joining us and we do look forward
to the space exploration,
the launch and a lot more exciting
developments around Artemis.
Thanks again and good luck and Godspeed.