Inside NASA's Artemis II mission

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More than fractional a period aft astronauts past near the lunar surface, NASA is preparing to nonstop a unit of 4 backmost to the satellite connected a fly-by ngo that volition sling them astir the acold side.

The ngo is called Artemis II, and if each goes according to plan, it could motorboat arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week. When it does, the astronauts volition ascent aboard NASA's astir almighty rocket and statesman a travel that could instrumentality them farther into abstraction than humans person ever been before.

Like the missions that preceded Apollo 11, the archetypal satellite landing, Artemis II is simply a trial flight, designed to trial whether the rocket, life-support systems and unit controls enactment arsenic designed.

A caller era, a acquainted path

Artemis II is the 2nd ngo successful NASA's Artemis program, a bid of progressively ambitious flights aimed astatine returning humans to the satellite for the archetypal clip since 1972. Artemis I, an uncrewed mission, successfully flew astir the satellite successful 2022. Artemis II volition transportation astronauts connected its lunar fly-by journey.

The attack intimately mirrors NASA's strategy during the Apollo era. Before Apollo 11 landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin connected the lunar surface, earlier Apollo missions tested spacecraft systems, navigation, and quality endurance successful heavy space. Missions similar Apollo 8 sent astronauts astir the satellite without landing, proving that the travel itself was possible.

Artemis II is today's equivalent.

"Artemis II is similar a trial flight," 60 Minutes analogous Bill Whitaker explained, "designed to person the astronauts really instrumentality power of the craft."

The SLS: NASA's astir almighty rocket

Whitaker and the 60 Minutes squad traveled to Kennedy Space Center to witnesser the rollout of the Artemis II satellite rocket, a four-mile travel from the gathering wherever it was assembled to the motorboat pad.

"It's huge," Whitaker said. "It's a beauteous portion of machinery."

Atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket sits the Orion capsule, successful which astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen volition ride. Together, the SLS and Orion correspond the backbone of NASA's adjacent section successful quality spaceflight.

Around the moon, not onto it — yet

After launch, the unit volition walk clip successful debased Earth orbit investigating Orion's systems earlier heading toward the moon. They volition loop astir it successful a wide figure-eight trajectory and past instrumentality home, ne'er touching the surface, akin to the Apollo 8 mission.

However, the formation way volition instrumentality them overmuch farther from the satellite than Apollo astronauts ever traveled. As Artemis commandant Reid Wiseman explained, Apollo crews orbited astir 60 miles supra the lunar surface. Artemis II astronauts volition walk betwixt 3,000 and 6,000 miles distant — acold capable to spot the full satellite successful a azygous view.

Depending connected the timing of the motorboat and the moon's determination successful narration to Earth, the astronauts whitethorn besides go the astir distant humans from Earth successful history.

For astir 40 minutes connected the acold broadside of the moon, the unit volition beryllium wholly retired of interaction with Earth.

Science, testing, and awe

This ngo isn't astir planting flags connected the lunar surface, but alternatively technological find and validation of hardware and procedures.

Astronaut Victor Glover said the unit volition beryllium engaged signaling observations and capturing photographs of the moon, contributing to lunar subject on the way.

Asked if determination would beryllium clip to simply marvel astatine the view, Wiseman smiled.

"According to our geology team, no," helium joked. "We're going to beryllium studying the geology of the satellite the full time, down to the past second. But we are going to person immoderate quality moments, for sure."

During a caller simulator run, Wiseman recalled seeing Earth emergence implicit the lunar horizon.

"When Earth rose, it stopped america each successful our tracks," helium said.

The infinitesimal echoes 1 of the astir iconic images successful spaceflight history: the Earthrise photograph captured during Apollo 8 successful 1968. "Oh, my God," astronaut Bill Anders tin beryllium heard saying successful archival audio. "Look astatine that representation implicit there."

The risks haven't changed

While exertion has advanced, the risks of spaceflight remain.

"Going into abstraction is dangerous," said Whitaker, who has covered spaceflight for much than 4 decades. "These astronauts are sitting connected apical of a batch of explosives."

Whitaker remembers covering the Challenger and Columbia disasters, tragic reminders that each ngo carries risk.

Glover says that world is not mislaid connected the crew.

"Before I leap successful a T-38, I accidental a prayer," helium said. "I accidental a prayer, and I say, 'I emotion you,' to my woman and daughters each time."

When Artemis II disappears down the moon, Glover hopes humanity volition intermission and deliberation of the unit during those astir 40 minutes of vigor silence.

A steppingstone, not a destination

Just arsenic Apollo's aboriginal trial flights made Apollo 11 possible, Artemis II is meant to softly alteration what comes next.

With Artemis III, NASA plans to onshore astronauts connected the satellite and yet found a sustained beingness there, utilizing it arsenic a gateway to aboriginal missions to Mars.

"I anticipation they hide each astir Artemis II," Christina Koch said. "We speech astir our bequest being enabling the aboriginal missions, each the mode from Artemis III to Artemis 100 to missions to Mars."

Jeremy Hansen added, "Watch what's coming next. It gets beauteous bonzer from here."

Photos and video courtesy of NASA, Blue Origin and Getty Images.

The video supra was produced by Brit McCandless Farmer and Scott Rosann. It was edited by Scott Rosann and Nelson Ryland.

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