GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – It’s been over 50 years, but NASA astronauts will soon be flying around the moon. Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen will ride the Orion spacecraft around the moon in another test ahead of Artemis III in 2028.
The Artemis Missions are being carried out to demonstrate America’s dedication to space exploration and a future Mars mission.
Artemis I was an unmanned mission that sent Orion around the moon and back to earth back in November and December of 2022. While many hailed the mission as a smashing success, a few issues popped up that NASA engineers have been working to correct ahead of the Artemis II mission. Specifically, there were small fuel leak issues and, more importantly, an issue with the heat shield during the crew capsule re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Both issues have been resolved to NASA’s satisfaction.
Artemis II will prove the viability of the equipment for future lunar missions. Artemis III, scheduled for 2028, would put astronauts back on the lunar surface, about two years earlier than China is currently projecting for their first crewed lunar landing mission.
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