Why does NASA want to send people to the moon again?
Named after the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, Artemis, NASA’s latest moon mission, was formally established in 2017. The first mission, Artemis-1 was scheduled to launch on 3 September but was later postponed due to technical difficulties
On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong of the United States became the first man to land on the moon. The moment was regarded as a defining point in human advancement in science and technology. Between 1969 and 1972, there were 6 crewed landings on the moon. After '72 however, interests fizzled out, mainly due to the astronomical cost of the Apollo missions.
The moon landing was a political statement as well. It came at the height of the Cold War and the space race was another frontier where the Americans and Russians competed. Despite Soviet advancements, Armstrong's iconic moment was what cinched the race in the eyes of many.
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And yet, now more than 50 years later, NASA is launching another moon mission. Named after the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, Artemis was formally established in 2017. The first mission, Artemis-1 was scheduled to launch on 3 September. However, the launch was postponed for late September, as NASA engineers failed to seal off a precarious Hydrogen leak.
Once launched, it will be an uncrewed orbital space flight, aimed to test out the Orion Capsule, where the astronauts will reside in their manned mission at a later date. Over the next five years, NASA has planned 4 missions in total. Artemis III will be the first crewed lunar landing in five decades.
But why now? And why again? With private space flights and Mars missions on everyone's minds for the last decade, it is natural to be confused at NASA's sudden renewed interest in the moon.
As we delve deeper into NASA's reasonings behind Artemis, it becomes clear that it was designed with future Mars missions in mind.
Just as Artemis 1 is essentially designed as a test flight for future Artemis missions, the program as a whole will serve as a testing ground for Mars missions. The technology used on the moon will be used for Mars and thorough practical testing is required to keep astronauts safe. The primary aim of Artemis is to establish a sustained presence on the moon with a base camp to help future missions to Mars.
Though Artemis 1 will be uncrewed, it will carry three mannequins – one male and two female. These will be made of materials that mimic our human bones, soft tissues and organs. Fitted with sensors, the effect of space radiation on these mannequins will be studied. Slowly the aim is to send astronauts to the moon for longer periods.
The two female mannequins are also a reflection of NASA's newer commitments namely sending women and people of colour to the moon.
It is not just that NASA is hoping to test existing technologies, they are also looking to start a boom on more technological innovation. Just as the space race pushed both American and Russian scientists towards advancing their science and technology, they are hoping it will inspire newer generations.
Much of the aptly named 'spinoff' technology we still use today – from flight technology to the very way we construct buildings to be quake-proof – has its roots in NASA's research for the Apollo programme.
The new moon missions are not just a testing ground for future excursions beyond it, our knowledge of the moon is far more advanced now than it was 50 years ago. The discovery that the moon was not the lifeless, barren rock that we previously thought it was has certainly changed some of Artemis' mission parameters.
Since the late 2000s, there has been a renewed interest in finding water on the surface. Preliminary tests had indeed found evidence, and so too did NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS missions. The water ice was found on the shadowed regions of the surface which is said to be far too cold for the water to evaporate.
A breakthrough came with the SOFIA mission, which confirmed that water is present even on the sunlit areas of the moon. Though we don't know how viable, this could be a gamechanger for astronauts
So, what does this discovery entail for NASA? For one thing, NASA plans to build the proposed base camp on the south pole of the moon, in an area close to permanently shadowed regions, where scientists have found water ice. If the water is indeed accessible, it could drastically reduce costs for future missions from Earth to the moon bases. NASA's ambitious plan is to establish a base strong enough to sustain missions for up to two months.
The Artemis program comes at a time when humanity has regained an interest in space travel. For our ambitions to reach Mars and beyond to be realised, a return to the moon seems paramount.
