The agency's Artemis 2 mission will see a crew of four astronauts travel far beyond the dark side of the Earth's natural satellite, reaching the farthest point that humans have ever traveled from Earth. They will get unfettered views of the Moon's surface during the flyby, getting within just 4,600 miles of its far side, before making their four-day return to Earth.
Specifically, NASA has spent years since its successful uncrewed Artemis 1 mission studying how the extreme temperatures during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere affect Orion's heat shield. The Orion capsule sustained major damage after making its return in 2022. It cracked and chipped as a result of the extreme conditions during reentry. Over two years after the mission concluded, NASA said it had identified the root cause,
Artemis 2 aims to test several crucial systems, such as astronaut life support, which will be used on the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled to land on the Moon in 2027. The program's goal, said Hawkins, is to maintain a continuous human presence on the Moon. Part of this effort will be to test technologies developed in collaboration with private companies and international partners, including Europe, which could help carry the first astronauts to the next step: Mars.
