 |
| the moment Artemis II blasts into space on historic mission (Image: BBC) |
As Nasa's Artemis II rocket finally took off on Wednesday, you could almost hear a sigh of relief. The safety of its four astronauts, Nasa's reputation, and the credibility of America's claim to be leading the new global space race all depend on this mission. There are mundane questions too: Could the onboard toilet break again? When can the crew nap?
Artemis II's next 24 hours should look like these.
READ MORE: Scientists excited to receive first Artemis signal
Where are the astronauts now?
The Orion spacecraft is currently being tested by Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen around 42,500 miles away from Earth. The craft's solar wings were fully deployed not long after launch, giving it power to help sustain its journey.
The Orion spacecraft is currently being tested by Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen around 42,500 miles away from Earth. Shortly after taking off, the craft's solar wings were fully extended, providing it with power to continue its journey.
Because it has never been piloted by humans before and is about the size of a minibus, pilot Victor Glover is spending the day pushing it to its limits. Nasa want to be sure Orion is voyage-worthy before the crew push on into deep space from where there is no easy return.
Additionally, they are evaluating the life support systems. However, the crew has specialized suits that could keep them alive for approximately six days in the event of an emergency.
What are the crew's activities?
We are able to watch a significant amount of what is taking place on this voyage because Nasa is livestreaming the mission, in contrast to the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s. The astronauts are seen checking their monitors, using their phones, and pressing buttons through cameras above their heads. The crew then got their first night's sleep aboard about eight hours after the launch.
 |
| Two of the crew inside Orion spacecraft (Image: NASA) |
We heard Commander Reid Wiseman asking where the team's pajamas were on the crew's radio call to mission command. Before the astronauts entered the sleeping area for about four hours, he requested their "comfort clothes." Schedules in space are incredibly strict. Every minute is accounted for by Mission Control.
Today, the crew are sleeping for about four hours at a time, adding up to eight hours over a 24-hour period.
Sleeping in space can be tricky. The crew must strap themselves into special hanging sleeping bags, and as their bodies adjust to weightlessness, some astronauts typically have trouble falling asleep. However, others claim that sleeping in space is their best ever sleep. This crew have strict instructions to exercise for 30 minutes every day to protect their muscle and bone density as they live without gravity.
Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover went first, testing out Orion's "flywheel exercise device", which is about the size of a carry-on suitcase.
Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen were scheduled to exercise later, performing rowing, squat, and deadlift exercises on the wheel. We assume they've had their first meals too, from Nasa's tailor-made Artemis II menu.
 |
| The crews' view from the Orion spacecraft during the last few hours (NASA) |
A lot of the food on Orion is freeze-dried and activated with water from an onboard tap because there is no refrigerator. The crew was allowed to choose their meals in advance, which included beef brisket, macaroni and cheese, and five distinct hot sauces. They can have either coffee or a "chocolate breakfast drink" twice a day. And crucially, as far as we know, the toilet is working. There were concerns that the team would have to spend ten days in a craft without a toilet when the facilities broke during launch. After giving astronaut Christina Koch instructions on how to fix the specially-designed loo, Mission Control radioed the crew: "Happy to report that toilet is go for use.... Before donating fluid, we do recommend allowing the system to reach operating speed.
What time do they travel to the Moon?
The snazzy-sounding "trans-lunar injection" burn is coming up today. They will be pushed out of Earth's orbit and on their way to the Moon by a significant force. It is supposed to happen Thursday night UK time, but if there are problems, it could be postponed or even cancelled.
If the mission were to be canceled, Nasa and the United States would suffer a significant setback in their efforts to become the first nation to successfully return humans to the lunar surface by 2028.
 |
| The crew are "safe, secure and in great spirits", according to a Nasa official (Image:EPA) |
If everything goes according to plan, the burn will fire for six minutes to send them around the Moon and back to Earth using lunar gravity.
Moon, which always faces away from the Earth.
That's meant to happen on Monday (6 April). The astronauts will be the first people to see some areas of the far side, although probes from countries including India and China have previously documented this region.
They'll be taking photographs and making observations of this mysterious place for us to see and learn from back on Earth.
Source: BBC
Posts
0 Comments