In 1969, America landed men on the moon. Now, almost 53 years later, the grand United States is trying to beat their record and land the first woman and person of color on the moon for a longer period of time. In addition, the potential of putting astronauts on Mars for the first time. This is the main goal of the Artemis mission at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). However, the Artemis program will take many steps. The main three steps are Artemis 1, Artemis 2, and Artemis 3, but there is more that needs to be done behind the scenes. 

The name, “Artemis mission,” was inspired by the goddess Artemis, and her twin Apollo was the inspiration for the name of the original Apollo mission to the moon in 1969. According to http://www.nasa.gov, “it encompasses NASA almost perfectly because it symbolizes what they’re looking for, which in this case is to put humans back on the moon and potentially on Mars shortly after.” However, they can’t just launch a rocket with people on it into space and land on the moon in one shot, and that’s where NASA’s Artemis 1 comes into play. According to NASA, Artemis 1 will be the test flight that will only go around the Moon, not land on it. When and if that returns successfully, they will send Artemis 2 up, which will send humans into space farther than anyone has gone. Hopefully, it will successfully complete the mission with people on it. And finally if the first two go well, NASA will fix all the necessary problems, if there are any, and it will be ready to actually land on the moon. 

While the plan is important, the structure of the spacecraft  is crucial as well. The transportation for this mission is the Orion spacecraft. According to NASA, the spacecraft has a system to keep the air breathable by taking the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) out of the air. The system is also compact enough so it won’t take up much space and give the astronauts about 10% more living room. In the case of the cabin depressurizing, the crew has spacesuits that can keep the crew alive long enough on the 6-day journey home. 

Along with items inside the spacecraft, on the outside, there are 33 engines, all of which are different sizes. According to http://www.nasa.gov, the main engine will have enough power to return to Earth by getting outside of the moon’s orbit, while the other engines will focus on steering and maneuvering through obstacles in the way. There will also be other necessities such as a heat protection shield, protection for radiation, and a navigation system. 

With all the work from NASA, America will be excited to see their goals and dreams happen. Along with making American history, one giant leap at a time.