Space tourism : Artemis 2 (finally) takes off for the Moon

April 2nd, 2026   Rédaction   No Comment   Technology    Artemis 2, Etats Unis, Jared Isaacman, Lune, Nasa    1539 views

Nearly sixty years after the Apollo 11 mission, which saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take the first steps on the Moon, a rocket lifted off today, April 2, at 12:35 a.m. (French time) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida toward Earth’s natural satellite, in front of more than 400,000 tourists who came to witness this historic launch.

« This is an important step on the road toward a long-term return to the Moon and missions to Mars, » NASA stated.

It’s worth remembering that this Artemis 2 mission is taking place under the implicit pressure of China, which aims to walk on the Moon by 2030.

The Rocket and the Spacecraft

The Space Launch System, abbreviated SLS, is an American super-heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed by NASA since 2011, with its first flight taking place on November 16, 2022.

Standing 98 meters tall and non-reusable, the unit cost of an SLS launch vehicle is $2.2 billion, and the SLS production rate is limited to one per year until [date missing]. 2030.

Furthermore, the SLS is expected to restrict its use to Artemis missions only, and in particular to gradually establish a base on the lunar surface, theoretically to use it as a springboard for further exploration.

The interior of the Orion capsule offers a habitable volume of approximately 9 m³, and it is in this space that the four astronauts will spend about ten days.

The Mission

The mission consists of several stages.

– First stage: After liftoff, after about twenty minutes, Orion’s European-made solar panels will deploy and begin powering the spacecraft.

[Image: [Image]] Then, approximately three hours after launch, Orion will separate from the rocket’s upper stage and remain in Earth orbit for about 24 to 25 hours, conducting various checks and maneuvers to ensure the spacecraft’s reliability and safety.

– Second stage: If these tests are successful, the spacecraft will then leave Earth orbit and continue its journey to the Moon, a trip of three or four days.

– Third stage: Upon reaching the vicinity of the Moon, the Orion spacecraft will orbit it, and the astronauts, who will then become the humans who have traveled the farthest from Earth, will begin their observations to allow NASA to choose the best landing site for Artemis 4.

For your information, the flyby of the far side of the Moon will last no more than 3 hours and 30 minutes.

– Fourth stage: The return journey will last three or four days, culminating in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The spacecraft will be slowed by powerful parachutes.

It’s important to remember that the mission is not without risk: the spacecraft has never carried anyone and must reach the Moon, more than 384,000 kilometers from Earth, or 1,000 times farther than the International Space Station.

Also, remember that the Orion capsule will be traveling at over 40,000 km/h on its return… That’s almost twice as fast as when astronauts return from the ISS!

The Crew

The crew consists of four astronauts: three Americans and one Canadian.

– The mission commander will be American Reid Wiseman. Aged 50, he is a former Navy test pilot and former NASA astronaut chief. He has completed a 165-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS).

– The pilot, Victor Glover. Aged 49, he will be the first African American to travel to the Moon. He has completed a mission on the International Space Station.

– Christina Koch, a 47-year-old American engineer, will become the first woman to participate in a lunar mission. She holds the record for the longest continuous spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.

– Canadian Jeremy Hansen, a 50-year-old former fighter pilot, will be the rookie on the mission, as he will be flying for the first time.