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Artemis 6
Mission typeCrewed lunar landing, Gateway Assembly
Operator NASA
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft Orion
Gateway Space Station
Starship HLS
Manufacturer
Start of mission
Launch dateMarch 2031 (planned) [1]
Rocket SLS Block 1B (Orion)
Launch site Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B
End of mission
Landing site Pacific Ocean (planned)
Moon lander
Landing site South polar region
←  Artemis 5
Artemis 7 →
 

Artemis 6 is the sixth planned mission of NASA's Artemis program. The mission will launch four astronauts on a Space Launch System rocket and an Orion to the Lunar Gateway and will be the fourth lunar landing of the Artemis program. In addition, Artemis 6 will also deliver the Crew and Science Airlock module. [2] The mission is planned for launch in March 2031, although the date may change based on NASA updates. [3]

Mission Overview

The third launch of the SLS Block 1B variant will launch four astronauts on a Orion spacecraft to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). A Exploration Upper Stage will put Orion on a trajectory towards the moon. Orion will dock with the Lunar Gateway station, and a crew of two will transfer over. The lander will undock, and will descend to the surface of the moon. Once on the moon, the crew may conduct experiments. Then after exploration, the crew will launch off the moon and back towards the gateway. Orion will undock from the Lunar Gateway and will head towards earth. Orion will then be put into orbit, followed by deorbit. Orion will reenter, and splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

Objectives

It hasn't been determined what the objectives of Artemis 6 are, but it's likely more preparations for a moon habit. It is also possible that the Crew and Science Airlock module will be attached to the gateway. This module is designed as an airlock for spacewalks.

Crew

Prime crew
Position Astronaut
Commander TBA, NASA
TBA spaceflight
Pilot TBA, NASA
TBA spaceflight
Payload Specialist TBA, NASA
TBA spaceflight
Mission Specialist TBA, NASA
TBA spaceflight

Spacecraft

Space Launch System

Main article: Space Launch System

The Space Launch System (SLS) is an American super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle used by NASA. As the primary launch vehicle of the Artemis Moon landing program, SLS is designed to launch the crewed Orion spacecraft on a trans-lunar trajectory. The first SLS launch was the uncrewed Artemis 1, which took place on 16 November 2022.

Development of SLS began in 2011, as a replacement for the retired Space Shuttle as well as the cancelled Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. As a Shuttle-derived vehicle, the SLS reuses hardware from the Shuttle program, including the solid rocket boosters and RS-25 first stage engines. A Congressionally mandated late 2016 launch was delayed by nearly 6 years.

All Space Launch System flights are launched from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first three SLS flights use the Block 1 configuration, comprising a core stage, extended Space Shuttle boosters developed for Ares I and the ICPS upper stage. An improved Block 1B configuration, with the Exploration Upper Stage, is planned for the sixth flight; a further improved Block 2 configuration with new solid rocket boosters is planned for the ninth flight. After the launch of Artemis 4, NASA plans to transfer production and launch operations of SLS to Deep Space Transport LLC, a joint venture between Boeing and Northrop Grumman. [4] [5]

Orion

Main article: Orion (spacecraft)

Orion (Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle or Orion MPCV) is a partially reusable crewed spacecraft used in NASA's Artemis program. The spacecraft consists of a Crew Module (CM) space capsule designed by Lockheed Martin and the European Service Module (ESM) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. Capable of supporting a crew of four beyond low Earth orbit, Orion can last up to 21 days undocked and up to six months docked. It is equipped with solar panels, an automated docking system, and glass cockpit interfaces modeled after those used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A single AJ10 engine provides the spacecraft's primary propulsion, while eight R-4D-11 engines, and six pods of custom reaction control system engines developed by Airbus, provide the spacecraft's secondary propulsion. Orion is intended to be launched atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with a tower launch escape system. [6]

As of 2022, three flight-worthy Orion spacecraft are under construction, with one completed and an additional one ordered, for use in NASA's Artemis program. The first completed unit, CM-002, was launched on November 16, 2022 on Artemis 1. [7]

The European Service Module for the mission reached substantial completion in late 2023. [8]

Starship HLS, depot, and tankers

Main article: Starship HLS

After a multi-phase design effort, on 16 April 2021, NASA selected SpaceX to develop Starship HLS and deliver it to near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) prior to arrival of the crew for use on the Artemis 3 mission. [9] The delivery requires that Starship HLS be refueled in Earth orbit before boosting to the NRHO, and this refueling requires a pre-positioned propellant depot in Earth orbit that is filled by multiple (at least 14) tanker flights. Two astronauts will transfer from Orion to Starship HLS, which will descend to the lunar surface and sustain them for several days before returning them to Orion. Following the return of the astronauts, Starship HLS will be disposed of by sending it into heliocentric orbit. The tankers and depot's second step included the SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 3. IFT-3 was the third integrated flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle, which the booster was B10, and the ship was S28. SpaceX performed the flight test on March 14, 2024. Starship successfully completed a full-duration second stage burn, reaching the intended orbital velocity for the first time, but broke up during re-entry in the atmosphere. [10]

The fourth integrated flight test of a prototype Starship launch vehicle occurred on June 6th, 2024. The prototype vehicles flown on the flight were the Starship Ship 29 upper-stage and Super Heavy Booster 11. The main test objectives of this flight, both of which were accomplished, were for the Super Heavy booster to simulate a landing at a "virtual tower" just above the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, and for Starship to survive at least peak heating during atmospheric re-entry. This marks the first integrated test flight where both Starship and Super Heavy successfully reentered and performed a simulated powered vertical landing in the ocean. [11]

References

  1. ^ "FY 2025 Budget Request" (PDF). NASA. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  2. ^ "UAE starts historic Lunar Gateway project". SatellitePro ME. 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  3. ^ "FY 2025 Budget Request" (PDF). NASA. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  4. ^ Sloss, Philip (2021-02-17). "NASA completes Exploration Upper Stage CDR, focuses new office on SLS Block 1B development". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  5. ^ "Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall - NASA". 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  6. ^ "NASA's historic return Moon landing could be delayed for years, says Artemis audit". cosmosmagazine.com. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  7. ^ Foust, Jeff (2024-01-09). "NASA delays Artemis 2 and 3 missions". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  8. ^ "European Service Module-6 structure ready for integration – Orion blog". Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  9. ^ Brown, Katherine (2021-04-16). "NASA Picks SpaceX to Land Next Americans on Moon". NASA. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  10. ^ Young, Chris. "SpaceX's Starship lunar-landing tech passes key in-space refueling test". Interesting Engineering. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  11. ^ Foust, Jeff (2024-06-06). "Starship survives reentry during fourth test flight". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
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