Artemis: The multi-billion plan to land a woman on the moon – The National

YOU probably didnt read earlier this week in the Brexit-mad Unionist media, but the UK has just quietly signed up to the 14 billion five year plan of the European Space Agency (ESA) which includes the real possibility of the first woman and the first European landing on the moon.

This being a Tory Government, the UK is not putting in as much as the Germans, French or Italians, and the UK space industry is fuming at that, but at least Britain is in there and will play some sort of a role in the very exciting Artemis programme being organised by Americas National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa).

Retaining membership of ESA was probably not on the agenda of the Brexiteers but even Boris Johnson seems to have realised that, as far as outer space is concerned, co-operation is everything. Space is a reserved matter for Westminster, even though Glasgow builds more space satellites than any other place in Europe and the UKs first space launch centre is set for Scotland, but it will be no surprise that the views of the Scottish Government very positively for more space-related developments were not taken on board.

ARTEMIS?

SHE was a Greek goddess, the twin sister of Apollo, and since the Apollo programme landed men on the moon, Nasa thought it only right that the distaff side should get a namecheck. From the outset the Artemis programme has been intended to land a woman on the moon, with a hub being established at the moons South Pole which will become the launch platform for the bid to send humans to Mars. New space technology, mostly from Europe, is driving Artemis.

WHY IS ESA INVOLVED?

PUT simply, the costs of Artemis are eye-watering at anywhere up to $30bn and probably a lot more, but apart from sharing the finances, ESA has acquired tremendous skills and talent which Nasa recognises. Nasa may be leading it, but Artemis truly is an international effort. Its not just governments putting in cash, as private companies are going to be heavily involved, too.

WHATS THE PLAN?

LET Nasa explain: With the Artemis programme, Nasa will land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. We will collaborate with our commercial and international partners and establish sustainable exploration by 2028. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the moon to take the next giant leap sending astronauts to Mars.

Simples, no?

WHAT IS EUROPES CONTRIBUTION?

THE European Service Module is a core essential of the whole Artemis programme, and is at the centre of the Artemis 2 mission, set for 2023.

Before that, Nasa will launch its new Orion spacecraft which is being built to take humans farther than theyve ever gone before. Extensive testing of Orion began this week in Ohio.

Orion will launch on Nasas new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System, and Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew into space, provide emergency abort capability, and sustain the crew during the space travel, before providing safe re-entry from deep space return .

ESA have already released details about Artemis 2. It will be launched by Space Launch Systems from pad 39B, at the Kennedy Space Center. Mission control will perform checks while the spacecraft is in low-Earth parking orbit.

After injection into elliptical high Earth demonstration orbit there will be a 42-hour checkout period of systems (orbit of 185 km at closest point to Earth and 2600km at farthest point).

Orion will then fly to the moon but no landing will take place. Instead there will be a flyby of the Moon followed by the return trip to Earth for which no engine firing will be required. During that return trip there will be the separation of the Crew Module from the expendable elements of Orion, namely the European Service Module, before re-entry of the Crew Module and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Artemis 3 and its successors will be the missions that land people on the moon expect a woman and a European to be selected.

WHAT OTHER NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN WE EXPECT?

REMEMBER those old bulky Apollo spacesuits? Nasas scrapped them. They stated: When astronauts are hours away from launching on Artemis missions to the moon, theyll put on a brightly coloured orange spacesuit called the Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) suit.

It is designed for a custom fit and equipped with safety technology and mobility features to help protect astronauts on launch day, in emergency situations, high-risk parts of missions near the moon, and during the high-speed return to Earth.

View original post here:

Artemis: The multi-billion plan to land a woman on the moon - The National