The change of year is usually associated with changes in our lives. The arrival of new projects with which to face the change of year and which we pursue to feel fulfilled. A question that also applies to large global organizations, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA.
The American space agency has marked this year in red, as it will be an important stage in the new space race that seems to have been unleashed in recent months. While other international agencies, such as those of Russia and India, last year focused their efforts on landing on the south pole of the Moon, this year’s goal for NASA is to send a ship with four astronauts to the lunar orbit.
It will be the second of the missions of the Artemis program, which aims to return to the Earth’s satellite in the next few years, in the best case scenario. The Artemis II mission, which will put the Orion spacecraft into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, is scheduled for November this year. It will be the first step in a more ambitious goal, that of returning to the Moon after more than 50 years (the last, in 1972 with the Apollo 17 mission).
Mars, goal for 2040
The passage to the Earth’s satellite is an intermediate point towards the great goal: reaching the red planet. There, in the harsh lands of Mars, the Perseverance rover has been located since February 2021, which has analyzed all possible samples, until the arrival of man. “Within the limits of available funds, we are refining our plans with the goal of astronauts walking on Mars in 2040,” NASA explains to Diario AS.
“One of NASA’s long-term goals has always been to send humans to Mars, and for that we need the Moon and Artemis. “This is the American approach to exploration from the Moon to Mars,” the space agency adds. The interest in this exploration of the Martian soil is based on the fact that, as they point out, it is a destination rich in scientific discoveries. “Throughout its history it has seen the conditions for life and is an engine for technologies that allow humans to travel and explore even further into the solar system, for the benefit of all.”
Artemis III: Return to the Moon
But before that, preliminary work on the Moon is needed, and the first step will be the Artemis III mission, which will mark the milestone of sending the first woman to the lunar surface. “We will use the experience gained from exploring the Moon to prepare for the next giant leap towards Mars,” says Mike Sarafin, manager of the Artemis mission, on the space agency’s official website. A mission that aims to reach the south pole of the Moon, a place different from previous ones with the Apollo missions.
And, to land on the red planet, it is almost necessary to establish some sort of intermediate base, which could be on the Moon. From Cape Canaveral to the Moon and, from there, to Mars, in a project in which NASA is already fully involved. “NASA is working with international and commercial partners to develop the infrastructure necessary for a long-term human presence on the Moon through Artemis. This infrastructure can include systems that include modern surface habitats, rovers, laboratory capabilities, energy generation and storage, as well as instruments and equipment. “These are just some of the technologies we will need to live and work on the Moon.”
Systems that will serve as pioneers for future missions to Mars, an objective that will consist of four phases. “Human return to the Moon, foundational exploration, sustained lunar evolution, and human voyage to Mars.” Before that, NASA is working on the necessary technology, operations and systems. “Decisions about when the first manned missions to Mars will take place will depend on progress toward those goals.”
2024-01-08 09:03:42
#NASA #sets #date #mans #arrival #Mars #goal