Humans will be able to live on the Moon for long periods of time later this decade. So says the head of NASA’s Orion aerospace program, Howard Hu, four days after the successful launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
In an interview with the BBC, Hu says the launch of the Artemis I unmanned moon mission on Wednesday was “a historic day for human spaceflight.” The NASA official also said watching Artemis take off was “an incredible feeling” and “a dream.”
“It’s the first step we’re taking toward long-term deep space exploration, not just for the United States, but for the world,” he said, stressing: “This is a historic day for NASA, but it’s also a day Historic day for all people who love human spaceflight and deep space exploration.”
“We are going back to the Moon, we are working on a sustainable program and this is the vehicle that will take the people that will take us back to the Moon,” he explained.
Hu said that if the current Artemis I flight is successful, the next one will be crewed, followed by a third in which astronauts will land on the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
According to the official, Artemis I is going well so far, with all systems working and the team preparing to start Orion’s engines this Monday, with the goal of placing the spacecraft in a distant orbit of the Moon.
One of the most critical phases of the Artemis I mission is getting the Orion capsule back to Earth safely. The module will re-enter the planet’s atmosphere at 38,000 km/h, and its shield, located at the bottom, will be subjected to temperatures close to 3,000ºC.
Once the Artemis components are tested and proven safe, Howard Hu says the plan is for humans to live on the Moon as soon as “this decade.”
According to Hu, one of the main objectives of the return to the Moon is to find out if there is water at the south pole of Earth’s natural satellite. If so, it could help provide fuel for ships going, for example, to Mars.
“Let’s send people to the surface [da Lua]they will live on that surface and do science,” he stressed.
“It will be really important for us to learn a little bit beyond Earth orbit and take a big step forward when we go to Mars.”
“The Artemis missions allow us to have a sustainable platform and transportation system that allows us to learn how to operate in that deep space environment,” he added.
The Orion capsule is currently about 134,000 kilometers from the Moon and is due to return to Earth on December 11.
The NASA mission, Artemis, marks the beginning of the program with which the United States intends to return to the surface of the Moon in 2025, one year later than planned, placing the first female astronaut and the first black astronaut on lunar soil. .
On top of the rocket is the Orion capsule which, for this first mission, is equipped with a “dummy” that will record the impacts of the flight on the human body.
Wednesday’s flight followed two launch attempts in August and September that were canceled due to technical problems.
Source: TSF
