Artemis II mission was a triumph. Now comes the hard part
Artemis II mission was a triumph. Now comes the hard part
NASA’s Artemis II mission has completed a historic loop around the Moon, safely returning four astronauts to Earth. The Orion spacecraft performed admirably, and the images captured by the crew have sparked renewed excitement about space exploration. However, the question remains: will this newfound enthusiasm translate into a future where children can live and work on the Moon, or even venture to Mars, as the Artemis programme envisions?
While orbiting the Moon was a notable achievement, the real challenge lies in landing on its surface. The success of Artemis II marks a significant milestone, but the path forward is more complex. This contrasts with the Apollo missions, which, though groundbreaking, were primarily driven by Cold War competition rather than a commitment to long-term space habitation. The first moon landing by Armstrong and Aldrin in 1969 was a symbolic victory, but subsequent missions saw declining public interest, leading to the program’s eventual scaling back.
Apollo’s Legacy and Artemis’s Ambitions
Following the historic Apollo 11 landing, the Apollo program continued, but the momentum waned. By the late 1960s, the political undercurrents that fueled the space race had shifted, resulting in fewer missions and a reduced focus on lunar bases. Now, NASA’s objectives are different, aiming for a sustained presence on the Moon. The Artemis programme envisions regular crewed landings starting in 2028, with the fifth mission set for later that year as a catalyst for establishing a lunar base.
Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), acknowledges the Moon’s potential, stating,
“The Moon economy will develop,” he says. “It will take time to set up the various elements, but it will develop.”
This vision, however, faces technical hurdles. The spacecraft required to transport astronauts to the Moon’s surface must carry substantial infrastructure, including equipment, rovers, and initial base components, demanding more propellant than a single rocket can provide.
Engineering Challenges in Lunar Propulsion
Unlike the Apollo-era Eagle module, which was designed for a single mission, the new landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin are more complex. SpaceX’s Starship variant, a towering 35-meter structure, and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2, a more compact design, both aim to support extended lunar operations. Yet, both have faced delays. The US space agency’s Office of Inspector General reported in March that SpaceX is at least two years behind schedule, while Blue Origin’s Blue Moon is eight months late, with many design issues unresolved.
Dr. Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University, highlights the technical demands of the propellant storage and transfer plan. “From a physics point of view it makes sense,” he explains. “But if it’s difficult to do in the launch pad, it’s going to be much more difficult to do in orbit,” he notes. The plan involves establishing a propellant depot in Earth orbit, which would be replenished by over a dozen tanker flights. This intricate system must maintain super-cold liquid oxygen and methane in space’s vacuum, a task that’s both ambitious and technically challenging.
The Artemis III mission, scheduled for mid-2027, is intended to test Orion’s docking capabilities with landers. However, the timeline appears optimistic given the current status of the rockets. Starship has not yet achieved a successful orbital flight, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has only managed two launches so far. These setbacks raise doubts about the feasibility of the 2028 landing target, which has also been influenced by political considerations aligned with President Trump’s space policy.