NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Daily Agenda
Approximately eight minutes after liftoff of the Artemis II mission, the Orion spacecraft and its crew – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen – will reach space. This nearly 10-day test flight will be packed with activities as the astronauts embark on a journey around the Moon and back to Earth, while mission personnel check Orion’s systems throughout the journey. While the mission control teams may refine the crew’s daily activity schedule based on operational activities during the test flight, both ground personnel and the crew have a general plan for each day of the mission.
Launch Day/Flight Day 1:
After the main engines of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket shut down, Orion and the interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) will separate from the rest of the rocket. The ICPS still has work to do: about 49 minutes after launch, its engine will ignite to raise the perigee, or the lowest point of a spacecraft’s orbit, to a safe altitude of 160 kilometers (100 miles) above Earth. About an hour later, when Orion reaches that perigee, the ICPS will reignite to further raise the spacecraft to a high Earth orbit. The crew will then have approximately 23 hours to conduct a thorough check of Orion’s systems while still relatively close to Earth.
The crew will begin checking systems such as the water dispenser – which will provide drinking water and rehydrate their food supply – the toilet, and the system that removes carbon dioxide from the air. The astronauts will also be able to remove the orange spacesuits they wore for launch and work in regular clothing. They will spend time rearranging the interior of Orion to function as a living and working space for the four floating crew members over the next 10 days.
Three hours into the mission, NASA will conduct tests on how Orion handles.
In future missions, Orion will dock with other spacecraft. To verify that Orion does this safely, the ICPS will be reused as a docking target. It will separate from Orion, and the crew will practice maneuvering their spacecraft towards the ICPS and around it in a demonstration of proximity operations. After this, the ICPS will reignite its engines for an orbital disposal maneuver that will send it towards the Pacific Ocean, while Orion continues in its high Earth orbit.
After about eight and a half hours in space, the astronauts will sleep for a short period. The crew will wake up after about four hours to perform an additional engine burn that will put Orion in the correct orbital geometry for its Translunar Injection (TLI) maneuver on Flight Day 2. They will also take this opportunity to conduct a brief check of their emergency communications with the Deep Space Network, at the farthest point of their high Earth orbit, which is necessary before the TLI.
Following this, the astronauts will be able to sleep for another four and a half hours, concluding Flight Day 1.
Flight Day 2
Wiseman and Glover will start the day by installing and checking Orion’s Inertial Wheel Exercise Device before performing their first physical training of the mission. Koch and Hansen have their exercises scheduled for the second half of the day. The morning workouts will provide another test of Orion’s life support systems before leaving Earth’s orbit.
Koch will spend the morning preparing for the day’s main event: the Translunar Injection orbital maneuver. The TLI is the final major engine burn of the Artemis II mission and will set Orion on course towards the Moon. And since Orion will use a free return trajectory to loop around the far side of the Moon, the TLI engine burn will also set Orion on a course to return to Earth on Flight Day 10.
Koch will configure Orion’s system to execute the orbital maneuver, which will be performed by the main engine on the spacecraft’s European Service Module. Also known as the Orbital Maneuvering System engine, it provides up to 2,722 kilograms (6,000 pounds) of thrust, enough to accelerate a car from zero to 60 mph in about 2.7 seconds.
After the TLI, the crew will have a less busy day, with time set aside to acclimate to the space environment. They will have an opportunity to engage in a space-to-ground video communication, the first of several that will occur throughout the mission. Except for Flight Day 7 – which will be the crew’s rest day – and landing day, they are expected to have one or two of these opportunities each day of the mission.
Flight Day 3
The first of the three smaller engine burns, called the out-of-plane correction maneuver, will ensure that Orion stays on course for its trajectory around the Moon and will take place on Flight Day 3. In the morning, Hansen will prepare for this orbital maneuver, scheduled shortly after the crew’s midday meal.
The rest of the day will include various checks and demonstrations. Glover, Koch, and Hansen will demonstrate cardio-pulmonary resuscitation procedures in space; Wiseman and Glover will review part of Orion’s medical kit, which includes a thermometer, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, and otoscope.
Koch has time set aside in the second half of the day to test Orion’s emergency communication system with the Deep Space Network. The entire crew will gather to rehearse the choreography for the scientific observations they will make on flight day 6, when Orion gets closer to the Moon.
Flight Day 4:
On flight day 4, a second orbital correction maneuver will continue refining Orion’s trajectory towards the Moon as the crew perfects their own preparations. Each astronaut will spend an hour reviewing the geographic targets from which they will be asked to capture images on flight day 6. Since these targets will vary depending on the time and day of the final crew launch, this serves as an opportunity to study exactly what they will observe as they approach the lunar surface. While they will likely take photos and videos from Orion’s windows often, flight day 4 has 20 minutes specifically dedicated to capturing images of celestial bodies from the spacecraft’s windows.
Flight Day 5:
Orion will enter the lunar sphere of influence on flight day 5, marking the point at which the Moon’s gravity will become stronger than Earth’s gravity.
As they approach the Moon, the crew will have a full day and will dedicate the morning almost entirely to conducting tests on their space suits. Officially known as the Orion crew survival system, the orange suits protect the crew during launch and reentry, but could also be used in case of emergency to provide each crew member wearing the suit with a breathable atmosphere for up to six days in the event of Orion depressurization. As the first astronauts to use these new suits in space, the Artemis II crew will test their ability to quickly don and pressurize the suits; install their seats and sit in them with the suits on; eat and drink through a port located in the helmets of the space suits, and other functions.
During the afternoon, the final orbital correction maneuver will take place before Orion’s lunar flyby on flight day 6.
Flight Day 6:
The Artemis II crew will reach their closest point to the Moon on flight day 6, while traveling to their farthest point from Earth. Depending on the launch day, Artemis II could set a record for the farthest distance a human has traveled from Earth, breaking the current record of 400,171 kilometers (248,655 miles) set in 1970 by the Apollo 13 crew. The distance the Artemis II crew will travel will depend on the exact day and time of their launch.
Throughout the day, the crew will be at a distance of between 6,400 and 9,700 km (4,000 and 6,000 miles) from the lunar surface as they orbit around the far side of the Moon. It should appear to them the size of a basketball held at arm’s length. They will spend most of the day taking photos and videos of the Moon and recording their observations, as they become the first humans to see some parts of the Moon with their own eyes.
Because the angle of the Sun on the Moon changes almost one degree every two hours, the crew will not know what lighting conditions await them on the lunar surface until the moment of launch. If the Sun is high in the lunar sky during the flyby, there will be few shadows and the crew will look for subtle variations in color and surface texture. If the Sun is lower on the horizon, long shadows will be cast across the surface, enhancing relief and revealing the depths, ridges, slopes, and edges of craters that are often difficult to detect in full lighting. If the Sun is directly overhead from Orion’s perspective — like noon on Earth — shadows will be few or nonexistent, creating ideal lighting conditions for close-up images of specific lunar features.
The crew will record their observations in real-time, while taking photos and videos, even when they lose communication with Earth for 30 to 50 minutes as they pass behind the Moon. This way, their observations can later be linked to the exact images they have captured.
Flight Day 7:
Orion will leave the lunar sphere of influence on the morning of flight day 7. Before the Artemis II crew drift too far from the Moon, scientists on the ground, eager to hear from them while the experience is still fresh in their minds, will have time to speak with the crew.
In the second half of the crew’s day, Orion’s engine will reignite for the first of three return trajectory correction maneuvers that will adjust Orion’s path towards Earth.
The crew will have much of the rest of the day free, giving them the opportunity to rest before resuming their final tasks prior to their return to Earth.
Flight Day 8:
The main activities for flight day 8 include two demonstrations by Orion.
First, the crew will evaluate their ability to protect themselves from high radiation events such as solar flares. They will use Orion’s supplies and equipment to build a shelter and cover themselves if necessary. Radiation will be a constant concern as humans venture into deep space, and various experiments will be conducted to gather data on radiation levels inside Orion.
At the end of the day, the crew will test Orion’s manual piloting capability by maneuvering the spacecraft through a series of tasks. The Artemis II mission is set to push the boundaries of space exploration with its groundbreaking objectives and innovative maneuvers. The spacecraft will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology to ensure a successful mission.
One of the key objectives of the Artemis II mission is to align a chosen target from the windows of Orion, transition to a sun-oriented position, and perform orientation maneuvers in relation to the flight plane by comparing the six degrees of freedom and three degrees of freedom orientation control modes of the spacecraft.
On the ninth day of the flight, the crew will begin preparations for their return to Earth. They will review reentry and splashdown procedures and communicate with flight control personnel. An orbital trajectory correction maneuver will be conducted to ensure the spacecraft is on track for its return journey.
The crew will also complete other tasks, including testing waste collection systems in case the Orion toilet malfunctions, and checking the fit of clothing to combat orthostatic intolerance. Orthostatic intolerance, which can cause symptoms like dizziness and lightheadedness when standing, is a concern for astronauts returning to Earth as their bodies readjust to gravity. Compression garments worn under spacesuits can alleviate these symptoms.
The crew will test the garments, take measurements of their body circumference, and complete a questionnaire on the fit and ease of wearing and removing this clothing.
On the tenth day of the mission, the focus will be on safely returning the crew to Earth. Another orbital trajectory correction maneuver will ensure Orion is on the right path for splashdown. The crew will return the cabin to its original configuration, with equipment stowed and seats in place, and don their spacesuits once again.
The crew module will separate from the service module, which has propelled them around the Moon and back to Earth. This will expose the crew module’s thermal shield, which will protect the spacecraft and crew as they reenter the Earth’s atmosphere with temperatures reaching up to 1,650 degrees Celsius (3,000 degrees Fahrenheit). Once safely through the heat of reentry, the cover protecting the spacecraft’s forward bay will be jettisoned to allow for the deployment of a series of parachutes: two braking parachutes to reduce the capsule’s speed to about 494 kilometers per hour (307 miles per hour), followed by three pilot chutes that will deploy the final three main parachutes. These will slow Orion to almost 27 km/h (17 mi/h) for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, where NASA and US Navy personnel will be waiting, marking the conclusion of the Artemis II mission.
The Artemis II mission represents a significant step forward in space exploration, showcasing cutting-edge technology and the dedication of the crew to push the boundaries of human spaceflight. As we look towards future missions to the Moon and beyond, the lessons learned from Artemis II will be invaluable in shaping the future of space exploration.
For more Information, Refer to this article.
