'Walking steps to the moon'... Vinit Vartak ©
The day was 24 September 2009. NASA presented a research paper about the moon to the world. This thesis revolutionized NASA's understanding of the Moon. In July 1969, the Apollo 11 mission landed the first man on the moon. After many subsequent Apollo missions, the moon was left with nothing but rocks. There is nothing there that will be useful to humans in the future NASA concluded. This belief of NASA or many scientists was shattered by India's Chandrayaan 1 mission. In a September 24 paper, NASA admitted that water had been discovered on the Moon. The discovery was made by NASA's M3 instrument sent aboard India's Chandrayaan 1 mission. After further research in later years, it became clear that 1 square meter of lunar soil contains 354 milliliters of water. That is why NASA has once again turned its steps towards the moon.
NASA plans to build a permanent base on the moon for future lunar missions. NASA is starting it's first mission on Monday, August 29, 2022. On August 31, 2011, space shuttle missions were completely shut down after several accidents. For nearly 11 years from 2011 to 2022, NASA did not have its own rocket. To that end, NASA has turned over many of its flights to private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Through the lunar mission 'Artemis', NASA is once again ready to go to the moon with its new modern technology like Space Launch System Rocket System, Orion spacecraft.
Before sending astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis mission, NASA is sending two missions to test the new technology. Artemis 1's main mission on Monday will be to test the Space Launch System, which will house the Orion crew model. The entire journey of the Artemis 1 mission will be 42 days 3 hours 20 minutes. The Orion crew model will enter Earth's atmosphere after orbiting the Moon at a speed of Mach 34 (39428 km/h). Can the Orion hold up in all these hostile environments? How does it land in the right place in the water? Many different things are going to be checked. This splashdown is expected on October 10, 2022. After the success of the Artemis 1 mission, the Artemis 2 mission is expected to reach the moon in 2024 and the Artemis 3 mission is expected to carry astronauts to the moon around 2025.
In the mission 'Artemis 1', NASA's Space Launch System rocket will take flight with a weight of 39 lakh kilograms. After reaching Earth orbit, the main rocket will separate from the service model. After that, the solar panels of this service model will be opened. After launching a few small satellites there, the module will turn on its cryogenic engine and send the Orion crew model towards the Moon. After entering lunar orbit, Orion will study the moon from an altitude of 100 km and its technical aspects will be analysed. On the return trip, the Orion crew model will begin its journey back toward Earth, using the Moon's gravity. As written above, the spacecraft will hurtle towards Earth at a tremendous speed of Mach 34 or 11 km/s. During this period the same temperature would have increased by 5000 degrees Celsius. NASA expects the Orion crew model to function at this temperature.
NASA has once again started its journey towards the moon through the Artemis mission. In this mission, a woman astronaut will step on the surface of the moon for the first time. As of writing this article, the campaign's final countdown has begun. If the weather is right tomorrow, Artemis 1 will fly to the moon. This flight will set the direction of space missions for the next 20-30 years. That is why this mission is very important for NASA. Best of luck to all NASA scientists, engineers and researchers on this flight.
Photo Search Courtesy :- NASA, Google
Notice :- Wording in this post is copyright.