NASA is heading back to the moon but
this time instead of taking one step
they're hoping for a much longer stay
it's been 50 years since Neil Armstrong
took that fateful step pronouncing those
10 words that changed the history of
spaceflight but since the final Apollo
mission in 1972 there's been a hold on
lunar exploration until recently in 2019
NASA announced its plans to return to
the moon with the exciting news of
sending the first woman and man to the
moon South Pole by 2024 the lunar
program also got a new moniker Artemus
after the Greek goddess of the moon and
fittingly Apollo's twin sister reaching
the moon by 2024 is of course an
idealized timeline and is heavily
dependent on funding the new Artemis
mission is estimated to cost twenty to
thirty billion dollars over the next
five years to fast-track the effort the
White House has requested an additional
1.6 billion but that's yet to be
confirmed cost aside with the successful
test of the Orion capsule in early July
NASA may just be one step closer to
returning to the moon the Orion
spacecraft is built to carry crew
members beyond low-earth orbit it's
composed of three major parts a launch
abort system or la s which would
separate the spacecraft from the rocket
if an accident were to occur during
launch a crew module where astronauts
would live and work and a service module
which is essential to the crew as it
provides life support and energy in
addition to the spacecraft's propulsion
system ensuring the functionality of
each of these components is crucial for
the survival of the astronauts and on
July 2nd 2019 the Orion test spacecraft
passed a full stress test to ensure its
launch board system was able to outrun a
speeding rocket and pull the crew module
to safety but in order to get to deep
space the Orion capsule will need some
help and this is where its rocket comes
in the Orion capsule will be hitching a
ride on the Space Launch System or SLS a
rocket that is currently being built the
SLS is designed to carry a Ryan into
deep space with missions to the moon
and Mars the SLS will have multiple
configurations for each of its missions
its first will be the block one designed
for an uncrewed mission beyond the moon
a subsequent planned configuration is
the block 1b vehicle which will be a
manned cargo mission and next is the
block 2 crew expected to be NASA's
workhorse shuttling cargo to the moon
Mars and other deep space missions and
it's with the Artemis one mission that
the world's most powerful rocket will
take its first test making it the first
integrated flight of Orion and SLS
standing at roughly 98 metres and
weighing around 2,600 metric tons
the SLS block 1 will generate 39,000 144
kilonewtons of thrust at liftoff that's
about 15 percent more power than the
Saturn 5 rocket it will be able to carry
more than 26 metric tons of cargo to
orbits beyond the moon with later
upgrades hoping to shuttle at least 45
metric tons
once the SLS is completed nASA says it
will be the only rocket with the power
necessary to carry astronauts and
payloads beyond Earth's orbit and into
deep space now that we have the capsule
and the rocket covered the last piece of
the puzzle is the deep space outpost
called the Gateway and it's a key
element to landing astronauts on the
lunar surface located roughly 400,000
kilometres away from Earth the Gateway
will be a small space station that will
orbit the moon allowing for the Orion
spacecraft to dock where it will serve
as a base for astronauts to conduct
scientific experiments expeditions and
get accustomed to living in deep space
crew members will visit the gateway at
least once a year for up to three months
at a time and unlike the International
Space Station which is the size of a six
bedroom house the gateways interior will
only be the size of a small studio
apartment in order to visit the lunar
surface astronauts would take a reusable
lunar landing system down to the surface
to explore and NASA is looking to the
commercial sector to fulfill this need
the system would need to include
elements for descent ascent transfer
refueling and a surface suit as for the
construction of the Gateway plans are
already underway now
hopes to send up large portions of the
spaceship for automatic assembly on
roughly six rocket launches which is a
steal considering that it took 34
launches to build the ISS so you're
probably wondering when Artemis will
take flight
well the Gateway is expected to be
completed in 2024 the unmanned test
mission known as Artemis one is expected
to launch before 2021 and should last
about three weeks the first manned
mission Artemis - will launch in 2020 -
orbiting our lunar neighbor before
returning to Earth but it's in 2024 that
NASA will finally revisit the lunar
surface in over 50 years
in fact Artemis 3 will deliver
pioneering astronauts to the moon South
Pole for the very first time
but the Artemis program isn't just
important for lunar exploration
preparing astronauts for life on the
Gateway will allow for more studies on
how the human body responds to life in
deep space and provide more
opportunities for exploration long-term
the Artemis program hopes to create a
lunar colony by 2028 an essential pit
stop for getting a manned mission to
Mars there are plenty of upcoming
launches so if there's a specific one
you'd like us to cover let us know down
in the comments below and if you like
this episode make sure to tune in to
Discovery's confessions from space
Apollo airing tonight
July 20th here's a preview if you're
going to accomplish something you go
have to take risk
we were close to not being able to come
home and then bingo the moon was in your
window John Young told me don't touch
this handle I'm the driver yeah I just
look in awe at this incredibly beautiful
planet oh man thanks for watching and
don't forget to subscribe I'll see you
next time on seeker