🚀 Artemis 2: in a month, humans return to the Moon

After a wait of more than fifty years, humanity is preparing to send astronauts back to the Moon. This significant milestone raises a question: how is a mission of such scale orchestrated today?

Four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, have undergone intensive training for several years. Their dress rehearsals at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida have familiarized them with launch procedures. Soon, they will board the Orion spacecraft, mounted atop the Space Launch System rocket, for a ten-day journey.


Liftoff will first place Orion into Earth orbit, where the crew will check the systems. Then, an ignition of the rocket's upper stage will send the spacecraft on a specific figure-eight trajectory around the Moon. This route, called a free-return trajectory, allows a return to Earth without any other maneuver, guaranteeing crew safety in case of a problem.

Delays have affected the initial schedule planned for 2023. During the Artemis 1 mission, Orion's heat shield sustained damage upon atmospheric re-entry. NASA developed a solution to prevent this from happening again, which postponed the launch. These technical adjustments show the persistent challenges of human spaceflight.

After Artemis 2, the next step is Artemis 3, which is to land astronauts on the lunar surface. For this, NASA is counting on SpaceX's Starship vehicle, but delays in its development could push this mission back to 2028. The space agency is exploring other options for lunar landers, such as the one proposed by Blue Origin.


The launch vehicle and spacecraft are currently assembled and awaiting transfer to the launch pad. Final tests, such as a fueling rehearsal, will be conducted before the launch window opens on February 6, although the official date remains to be confirmed.

The free-return trajectory

This trajectory, used for Artemis 2, is a figure-eight curve that encircles the Moon. It takes advantage of lunar gravity to automatically bring the spacecraft back to Earth without requiring additional propulsion. Designed to maximize safety, it reduces risks in case of engine failure after translunar injection.

Apollo missions already used this type of route, but current technologies allow for more precise calculations. For Artemis 2, it ensures the crew can return even if anomalies occur far from Earth. This approach minimizes fuel consumption and simplifies operations.

In practice, after launch, the spacecraft enters an Earth orbit for checks. Then, the ignition of the upper stage propels it toward the Moon on this predefined trajectory. If nothing more is done, the spacecraft loops around the Moon at a distance, using its gravity to alter its course and return toward Earth's atmosphere.