It is NASA’s first mission to carry humans to the vicinity of the moon since 1972 and is scheduled to launch in April 2026.
- The objective is to test human-rated deep space systems
- It is the second scheduled flight of the Artemis program and the first crewed Artemis mission.
- It is the first to fly four astronauts around the Moon in 10 days and bring them back to Earth using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
- While Artemis 1 successfully flew Orion around the moon without astronauts in 2022, Artemis 2 will be the first time humans travel aboard the spacecraft and venture beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years.
Major Missions to the Moon
- India – Chandrayaan Missions
- USA – Apollo Program, Artemis Program
- Russia – LUNA Mission
- China – Chang’e Series
Source: The Indian Express