The exploration of space created a new Age of Exploration where, instead of discovering new islands, we explore strange new worlds. However, will there be new projects and missions to further explore the mysteries of space?
In the United States, NASA plans for a new project called The Artemis Program, where they plan to send the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024 and then, eventually, plan for Mars. The rocket in The Artemis Program, known as the Space Launch System (SLS), will be the most powerful rocket that NASA ever created, designed to be evolvable, flexible, and made to travel deep into the solar system. Their Orion Spacecraft will be built to carry crew members to lunar orbit where they can use a human landing system or the Gateway, a lunar outpost, to land on the Moon. The Orion Spacecraft will also be designed to withstand extreme heat when re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA also plans to upgrade their Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to support Artemis missions. NASA will also provide a new spacesuit called the Orion Crew Survival System Suit for The Artemis Program, and astronauts will use the extravehicular mobility unit or xEMU to support lunar surface expeditions. NASA plans to launch astronauts to the Moon by 2024, for this “is the most ambitious date possible”, with the goal to keep the United States ahead in space exploration.
China’s Chang’e-5 mission proved to be a success as the mission brought back new rock and soil samples from the Moon while also allowing China to plant their own flag on the Moon. According to the BBC, “Samples from this terrain may be no more than 1.2 or 1.3 billion years old, and, as such, should provide additional information on how the Moon is constructed internally.” Also, according to the same source, “The samples will also allow scientists to more precisely calibrate the ‘chronometer’ they use to age surfaces on the inner Solar System planets.”
According to Space.com, Russia’s space corporation, Roscosmos, will launch a mission to the Moon by October 2021, using their spacecraft the Luna-25 to collect lunar samples for research. With Russia and China’s improvement in space research and exploration, there will be a higher chance of discovering new possibilities in how to travel and study more deeper into space.
Comments