Padhai Marg

Why in News:
The NASA Artemis II mission was launched on 1 April 2026, marking the first crewed mission beyond low-Earth orbit in over 50 years since Apollo 17.

What is Artemis II Mission?

   About:

•  Artemis II is the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis programme.
•  It is a 10-day lunar flyby mission using the Orion spacecraft.
•  Humans will travel to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time since 1972.
•  Objective: Test deep-space life support systems and mission readiness.

Crew Profile (Key Firsts):

• Reid Wiseman – Commander

• Victor Glover – First person of color beyond low-Earth orbit

• Christina Koch – First woman to travel to Moon’s vicinity

• Jeremy Hansen – First non-American beyond Earth orbit

Mission Features:

  Trajectory:

•  No landing, only lunar flyby
•  Uses free-return trajectory
•  Travels ~7,400 km beyond Moon’s far side
•  Returns using gravity assist (slingshot effect)

  Launch System:

•  Uses Space Launch System (SLS)
•  Generates 8.8 million pounds of thrust
•  More powerful than Saturn V (Apollo era rocket)

  Advanced Technology:

•  Laser Communication (O2O):

         – Uses infrared lasers
         – Data speed up to 260 Mbps
         – Enables 4K video transmission from Moon distance

  Scientific Experiments:

•  AVATAR Experiment:

         – Uses organ-on-chip technology
         – Studies effects of radiation & microgravity on human cells

Global Collaboration:

•  Deployment of CubeSats from:

              – Germany
              – Argentina
              – South Korea
              – Saudi Arabia

What are the Various Landing Missions to the Moon?

Historical Soft Landings (1966–1976) 

   1. Luna 9 (1966) – Soviet Union
         First spacecraft to achieve a successful soft landing on the Moon; proved lunar surface is solid and can support landers.

   2. Surveyor 1 (1966) – United States
         First successful American robotic landing; sent 11,000+ images and data about lunar soil and surface conditions.

   3. Apollo 11 (1969) – United States
         First human landing on the Moon; Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface and returned safely.

   4. Luna 16 (1970) – Soviet Union
         First robotic mission to collect lunar soil and return it to Earth automatically.

   5.  Apollo 17 (1972) – United States
          Final Apollo mission; longest moonwalks and discovery of unique “orange soil.”

   6. Luna 24 (1976) – Soviet Union
          Last Soviet lunar mission; drilled 2 meters deep and returned samples indicating early evidence of water.