CELESTIAL CONQUEST: Earth recedes as the crew journeys home.
Photo courtesy of @nasaartemis
With the successful launch of Artemis II on April 1, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has taken a major step towards returning humans to the Moon. The mission is part of a larger effort to build a long-term lunar presence and prepare for future exploration of Mars. By sending four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—on a 10-day trip around the Moon, Artemis II marks another critical step forward in ongoing space exploration efforts.
The Artemis program was established by NASA in 2017, after the Trump Administration issued Space Policy Directive‑1, which prioritized returning humans to the Moon as a precursor for future missions to Mars and beyond. After the directive, NASA began developing and testing the hardware needed for the mission, including the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft. Engineers spent years building and testing these apparatuses to ensure that they could successfully carry humans beyond Earth’s orbit for the first time since the Apollo program in 1968. The Artemis I mission was uncrewed and tested the rocket and spacecraft to provide confirmation of their ability to safely transport astronauts through space. The crew itself also endured rigorous training, and three of its four members had even formerly flown fighter jets. Altogether, the Artemis mission has been carefully planned for almost 10 years, all leading up to the successful flight of Artemis II.
The Artemis II mission represents several historic milestones in space exploration. It was the first crewed mission around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, and also featured the first woman, African American, and Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit. The mission was meant to be used as a test flight for future Moon landings in order to establish a permanent base on the dark side of the Moon, but it also serves as a symbol of increasing diversity in the field of space exploration. Max Guo ’28 expresses his hope for the future of space travel, saying, “Maybe in the next 10 years, they’ll increase their frequency more and more, so that more people will be going to the Moon.”
The crew traveled aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, which was launched using SLS, the most powerful rocket in operation in the world to date. Over the course of the mission, the astronauts traveled close to 700,000 miles, orbiting the Moon before returning home. Rather than entering lunar orbit, the astronauts followed a free-return trajectory, meaning the Moon’s gravity helped redirect the spacecraft towards Earth, almost like a slingshot. This path also acts as a safety measure, allowing the crew to return home, even if technical issues were to occur during the mission.
While the Artemis II mission has clear scientific significance, reactions among students at Episcopal vary. Some students followed all of the major events live and viewed it as an exciting step forward, while others were less aware of the mission altogether. Elizabeth Mann ’28 expresses her opinion about the technological advancements that Artemis II represents, saying, “Mars is the next logical step. But I don’t think Artemis II shows that we’re any closer rooted on Mars than we were 10 years ago.”
Despite the mixed opinions on the effect this mission had concerning human presence on the moon, Artemis II signifies an important step forward in the long-term strategy of human and space exploration. With the technological advances of Artemis and NASA’s long-term goal to establish a permanent lunar base, the agency has rekindled the love of space travel for many. Wilson Corcoran ’29 says, “It’s cool to think that something happening right now could be the start of the next era of space exploration.”
As NASA continues to develop the Artemis program, missions like Artemis II are laying the groundwork for humanity’s return to the Moon and eventual arrival on Mars. While Artemis II did not land on the Moon, its success is a reminder of NASA’s unceasing innovation as well as its long-term ambitions to reach Mars.