Artemis II astronauts orbiting the Earth after historic Moon mission launch | BBC News
NASA successfully launched the Artemis II mission with four astronauts who are now orbiting Earth and performing safety checks on the Orion spacecraft. The crew will travel deeper into space than ever before, circling the far side of the moon during their 10-day mission before returning to Earth.
Summary
NASA has achieved a successful launch of the Artemis II space mission, with four astronauts (three Americans and one Canadian) now in orbit and reportedly in great spirits. The crew is currently performing various safety and reliability checks on the Orion spacecraft, which has never carried humans before. This historic mission represents NASA's return to lunar exploration, with the astronauts expected to travel deeper into space than any humans have gone previously during their 10-day journey that will take them around the far side of the moon. Aerospace professor Kevin Fong discussed the intense risks involved, describing how the astronauts are essentially sitting atop a launcher with the explosive capacity of a small nuclear weapon, accelerating from zero to 17,500 miles per hour in eight minutes. The preparation for such missions takes years, with crews training together extensively and being selected for their psychological resilience. Fong explained the physical challenges astronauts face in the cramped spacecraft (roughly the size of eight British telephone boxes for four people) and the health impacts of weightlessness, including muscle and bone deterioration that begins within days. The astronauts must exercise regularly even on this short mission to maintain their physical condition. Fong also described the unique experience of space travel, including witnessing 16 sunsets every 24 hours due to their orbital speed, and the complex logistics of basic activities like sleeping, which requires velcroing sleeping bags to walls since there's no gravity to keep astronauts in bed.
Key Insights
- Professor Fong revealed that astronauts face extraordinary physical risks, sitting atop a launcher with explosive capacity equivalent to a small nuclear weapon and accelerating to 17,500 miles per hour in just eight minutes.
- Fong explained that weightlessness causes rapid physical deterioration, comparing it to sending athletic people to bed for 10 days, with muscles and bones wasting away within days without proper exercise.
- The expert described the extreme space constraints, noting that four astronauts must share a space equivalent to roughly eight British red telephone boxes for their entire 10-day mission.
- Fong stated that astronauts on this mission will be particularly vulnerable to radiation since they'll be operating outside Earth's magnetic field protections, unlike those in low Earth orbit.
- Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean told Fong that after returning from the moon, the most amazing thing he could do was simply sit in a shopping center with an ice cream and watch people, illustrating how space travel transforms one's perspective on Earth.
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