NASA’s newest mission Friday marks the first time humans will embark on a journey to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The international space mission, named Artemis II will not land on the moon but circle it to test the systems that return humans to the planet’s surface.
Irish scientist and science writer Dr Niamh Shaw spoke to Emmet Oliver about what the four astronauts may have in store during their mission.
Speaking on The Anton Savage show on Sunday she explained that there are several date clusters that are viable for the mission to begin.
“These rockets are extremely powerful, they’re very powerful,” she said.
“It’s taken a couple years to assemble them and the big clincher is when they go. We have a window of dates coming up later next week and a group of about five dates in early March and similarly in April.
“It all hands on one event happening tomorrow night which is called a ‘wet dress rehearsal’. That is basically everything that happens before you just hit the launch button.
“They test everything: they fill the tanks, they check everything and get clearance from every department. Once they’re happy with that, everything about the rocket is ready and you're set to make a genuine launch attempt.”
Planet and stars in outer space. Picture by: JG Photography. Dr Shaw, who was present at the previous Artemis launch, explained that the first mission did not have humans on board therefore, much of the checks were to ensure that everything was functioning before human presence.
Other elements that need to be checked include: the capsule, suits, seats and the communication system that will be used.
“[This mission] is a massive achievement for humanity because they’re going to orbit the moon and venture to the far side of it,” she told Newstalk.
“It’s the dark side of the moon and it really is the furthest humans have ever travelled. It’s the first mission with a woman near the moon, the first person of colour and the first Canadian.”
Asked whether the West was still embroiled in a space race and if countries like Russia and China were still investing in space exploration, she said the competitiveness between nations could be a driver.
“China now is a little bit behind but China has already returned to the moon a couple of times, albeit not with people.
“The Artemis mission involves a number of countries which include Ireland. It’s a consortium equivalent to what we see in the International Space Station. We have NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency and the Japanese Space Agency.”
Main Picture: Galaxies by JG Photography.
