It’s part of the wider programme. Artemis IV and V are the missions to land on the moon.
5 X BUSTED!
There are prople among us trying to kickstart the conspiracy that the ongoing Artemis mission is fake.
Far as I know the flag on the moon wasn’t manipulated though.
“In vacuum conditions, manipulating the flag caused it to flap vigorously as if it were being blown by a breeze.”
…even in various countries 
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Because this is the first flight of Artemis with humans and they needed to do a test flight first (just like Apollo did) AND ALSO the lunar lander being built by SpaceX that they actually need to land on the moon is not even close to being ready. When SpaceX are ready Artemis III has to test the lunar landing system in earth orbit, then Artemis IV will land on the moon.
what really baffles me is that 50 years ago, with almost manual technology, the humankind was able to hit a milestone that now, with digital technolgoy, much more powerful computers, better materials and AI being able to solve most of the problems of the world, the endeavour seems ‘too complicated’.
And, no, Artemis’ flight is not PoC for a moon landing, which was the most complicated part (both in hardware & software) of the 1969 Project.
Yet…who needs humans in space (or, on the Moon), when today, everything can be ‘easily’ remotely controlled?..
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50 years ago the objective was pretty much “put a man on the moon and pin a flag to it”. Today the objectives are manifold, and include projects like a lunar station, mining possibilities and other complicated and expensive aims.
All these projects need to be worked through on earth and made suitable for the micro gravity, launch forces, extremes of temperature, radiation, etc. up there. These exploratory trips, both manned and unmanned are just a necessary set of steps to get to it.
Engineering consultant here.
It’s easier to build things when risks are unknown and some loses are acceptable because the space race it’s a patriotic thing.
- Soyuz 11 astronauts are USSR heroes, anyway keep going! Show those capitalists who is superior.
- So sad about Apollo 1 guys, but let’s get to the Moon first.
These days, more risks are known, therefore more work to do. And, it’s only science, fatalities are less welcome.
- Wait a min…why did the crews of Challenger and Columbia had to die?
- Maybe that component has to be redesigned and tested one more time. Launch can be re-scheduled because this X thing is not clear or optimal. Check one more time.
This is a completely different environment. Objectives and requirements are different.
Many of the astronauts are scientists too and where they win over machines is that because they are human, and with inquisitive minds, they can pick up nuances in both the experiments they conduct and in day-to-day living in space which automation would just ignore.
Valuable knowledge has been learnt this way.
They don’t want to just put man on the moon this time. They want to build a base station on the Moon for longer stays, hence why they need a more substantial landing craft that goes up separately this time (being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin). Even before the base station, the landing craft will allow astronauts to stay on the Moon for a week or two. From the Moon base the plan is to send manned missions to Mars, which is easier than starting them on earth. So far more infrastructure is needed now than in the Apollo era, where they landed 2 astronauts for 2 days and brought back a few rocks.
If anyone wants a fantastic fictional book about this early space race then Jed Mecurios’s book, Ascent, is a really good read.
It’s a poignant story about an unknown Soviet fighter pilot who ends up as an unknown Cosmonaut.
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I’m currently reading “Failure is not an option” by Gene Kranz. Super interesting.
And some people thinks its round.
Ahem … because NASA couldn’t get 7 Up.
Twice!
They used 16 bit computers arranged in groups of three.
That’ll buff out with a bit of T-cut.
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Too much coal in the BBQ!
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Jeeez! The next Artemis should better have the hearshield worked over, with that kind of damage it would seem they survived out of sheer luck.
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