NASA’s Artemis-II is about to break a 50-year record: 10 facts that will blow your mind

It’s been more than 50 years since humans went beyond Earth’s orbit. Back in 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts were the last to set foot on the Moon. Tonight, NASA is ready to take a major step in that direction. The Artemis-II mission won’t land on the Moon, but it will take astronauts farther from Earth than anyone has travelled in over half a century. This mission also comes with some intriguing aspects.

Here’s what makes Artemis-II so fascinating:

It’s the ultimate “test drive”

Artemis-II is basically a giant rehearsal for future Moon landings. The crew will test the rocket, the spacecraft, and everything in between in real space conditions.

The Moon does all the work on the way back
No rocket engine needed to return home. The spacecraft will use a “free-return trajectory,” which means the Moon’s gravity will swing them around and send them back toward Earth. Space physics does the heavy lifting.

They’ll lose contact with Earth at times

There may be brief communication gaps during the mission, particularly when the spacecraft moves behind the Moon. However, NASA’s Deep Space Network will maintain communication for most of the journey.

Radiation is a real danger

Unlike astronauts on the International Space Station, this crew is leaving Earth’s protective magnetic shield behind. That means more exposure to cosmic radiation. It’s an important step in understanding how humans can survive deep space.

The crew is historic

As mentioned in a report by India Today, Victor Glover will be the first person of colour to travel this far from Earth, while Christina Koch will become the first woman to go beyond low-Earth orbit. At the same time, Jeremy Hansen will make history as the first non-American to travel beyond low-Earth orbit.

They’re bringing a little “space mascot”

Meet Rise – a tiny plush toy that floats in zero gravity. It’s a long-standing tradition: when the toy starts drifting, the crew knows they’re officially weightless.

First-time space jitters are real

Jeremy Hansen is flying to space for the first time. Around half of all new astronauts experience “space sickness” due to zero gravity.

They could break a 50-year-old record

If everything goes according to plan, Artemis-II will take humans farther from Earth than anyone has since Apollo 13. That’s over 4 lakh kilometers.

The return will be extremely fast

When the crew re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, they’ll be travelling at over 40,000 km/h. That’s faster than any human-crewed spacecraft has re-entered before.

This mission is about the future, not just the Moon

As mentioned in the India Today report, Artemis-II is paving the way for Artemis-III, which plans to land astronauts near the Moon’s south pole. Why? Because there could be water ice there. Water can be turned into drinking water, fuel, or oxygen. It is a key step toward humans living on the Moon.
Thumb image: NASA Artemis/ Instagram