When NASA astronauts went to the Moon during the Apollo missions five decades (a period of ten years) ago, they experienced a series of “firsts.” It was the first time a human walked on the Moon. The first Moon rocks were brought back to Earth.
Another series of “firsts” has been happening with the return of astronauts to the Moon for the Artemis missions.
The Artemis I mission was an uncrewed (not carrying astronauts) flight of the Orion spacecraft. In 2022, the Space Launch System (SLS) was used for the first time to launch the Orion spacecraft into the atmosphere. The spacecraft went around the Moon and returned to Earth after 25 days.
The Artemis II mission began when the Orion spacecraft was launched on April 1, 2026. With four astronauts aboard, this flight to the Moon and back also had several “firsts.” It was the first time humans had seen some areas of the Moon with their eyes. The astronauts observed the Moon’s surface in real time, looking for differences in color and texture. Something the human eye can do better than a camera or satellite!
During the trip, the astronauts traveled farther from Earth than any human being. When they circled the Moon, they were over 250,000 miles from Earth, breaking the old record set in 1970! The astronauts also saw a total solar eclipse (when the Moon appears to cover the Sun completely) from a different view. The Moon passed between the Sun and the Orion spacecraft, totally blocking the Sun for almost 53 minutes. That’s about seven times longer than we normally see total solar eclipses on Earth! The astronauts made observations about the Sun’s corona (the outermost layer of the Sun).
The remaining Artemis missions will also bring us a lot of “firsts.” During Artemis III, astronauts will test how well the Orion spacecraft works with other equipment to land on the Moon. During Artemis IV, the Orion spacecraft will land near the Moon’s south pole. For about a week, astronauts will test new spacesuits while collecting samples from the Moon’s surface. It will be the longest time humans have spent on the Moon’s surface. Artemis V has astronauts living and working on the Moon for extended periods of time and building the first Moon base.
What Do You Think? Why do you think space exploration involves a lot of “firsts”?
Photo Credit: (t)NASA Kennedy Space Center (NASA-KSC), (b)NASA
