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82-435: The Artemis Accords are a series of non-binding multilateral arrangements between the United States government and other world governments that elaborates on the norms expected to be followed in outer space. The Accords are related to the Artemis program , an American-led effort to return humans to the Moon by 2026, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond. As of 13 November 2024, with

164-606: A near-rectilinear halo orbit and the program's sustainability. Orion's first launch on the Space Launch System was originally set in 2016, but faced numerous delays; it launched on 16 November 2022 as the Artemis I mission, with robots and mannequins aboard. According to plan, the crewed Artemis II launch is expected to take place in late 2025, the Artemis III crewed lunar landing is scheduled for late 2026,

246-717: A "blatant attempt to create international space law that favors the United States." Beside possibly being an opportunity for China in light of the Wolf Amendment , Chinese government affiliated media has called the Accords "akin to European colonial enclosure land-taking methods." Russia and China have since reached an understanding to work together on the Chinese International Lunar Research Station concept, to serve as

328-620: A Canadian-built robotic arm system for the Gateway. Also delivered will be NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle . Launch is scheduled for no earlier than March 2030. The mission will also be the first to use Blue Origin 's Blue Moon lander to take astronauts to the Moon's surface. Artemis VI (2031) is planned to be the fourth crewed lunar landing, which will integrate the Crew and Science Airlock with

410-756: A Human Landing System. NASA Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWit said he thought the agency has "a very good shot" to get this budget through Congress despite Democratic concerns around the program. However, in July 2020 the House Appropriations Committee rejected the White House's requested funding increase. The bill proposed in the House dedicated only US$ 700 million toward the Human Landing System, 81% (US$ 3 billion) short of

492-700: A Space Launch System rocket and an Orion spacecraft to the Lunar Gateway and will be the third lunar landing of the Artemis program. In addition, Artemis V will deliver two new elements to the Gateway space station. After docking to the Gateway, two astronauts will board the Blue Moon lunar lander and fly it to the Lunar south pole to land near the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). This will be

574-609: A crew with the International Habitation Module (I-Hab) and adding the module to the Gateway space station. SLS Block 1B manufacture began in March 2024. The I-Hab module construction was underway as of April 2024. In May 2024, it was reported NASA made significant progress towards completion of Mobile Launcher 2 (ML-2), the launch platform that will be used by the larger SLS Block 1B. However, in August 2024,

656-541: A potential competing option for third parties such as Pakistan. Two researchers writing in Science magazine's Policy Forum have called on countries to speak up about their objections, and argued that the United States should go through the United Nations treaty process in order to negotiate on space mining. They were concerned NASA's Accords, if accepted by many nations, would enable the Accords' interpretation of

738-517: A support mission to place a Starship Human Landing System (HLS) in a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) of the Moon prior to the launch of SLS/Orion. After Starship HLS reaches NRHO, SLS/Orion will send the Orion spacecraft with a crew of four to dock with HLS. Two astronauts will transfer to HLS, which will descend to the lunar surface and spend about 6.5 days on the surface. The astronauts will perform at least two Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) on

820-546: Is Europe's largest national organization of its type. CNES was established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961. It is the world's third oldest space agency, after the Soviet space program (Russia), and NASA (United States). CNES was responsible for the training of French astronauts, until the last active CNES astronauts transferred to the European Space Agency in 2001. As of January 2015 , CNES

902-478: Is Hansen's backup; she will join the mission if Hansen is unable to. Glover, Koch, and Hansen are planned to be the first person of color , woman, and non-US citizen to go beyond low Earth orbit , respectively. Hansen and Sidey-Gibbons are Canadian and have been assigned by the Canadian Space Agency ; a 2020 treaty between the United States and Canada led to their involvement. Artemis III

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984-494: Is a Moon exploration program led by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), formally established in 2017 via Space Policy Directive 1 . It is intended to reestablish a human presence on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The program's stated long-term goal is to establish a permanent base on the Moon to facilitate human missions to Mars . Two principal elements of

1066-464: Is a key capability necessary to complete the Artemis III mission. A ship-to-ship propellant transfer demonstration to further prove out the capability is expected in 2025. The European Service Module for the mission was reported on track to be handed over to NASA in summer 2024. The first integrated test for the mission, which included the next generation space suits developed by Axiom Space, and

1148-695: Is expected to launch in September 2026 as the first crewed landing on the Moon since Apollo 17. In February 2024, NASA completed full qualification testing of the docking systems on Starship HLS . Also in February, the bulk of the manufacturing for the core stage of the SLS to be used in the mission was completed. In April 2024, NASA announced the successful completion of Starship’s first internal propellant transfer demonstration. The Starship’s tanker variant ability to act as an orbital propellant depot to Starship HLS

1230-469: Is planned for availability before Artemis IV. The Gateway will be resupplied and supported by launches of Dragon XL spacecraft launched by Falcon Heavy. Each Dragon XL will remain attached to Gateway for up to six months. The Dragon XLs will not return to Earth, but will be disposed of, probably by deliberate crashes on the lunar surface. The Artemis program incorporates several major components of previously cancelled NASA programs and missions, including

1312-593: Is planned to be the first crewed test flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft. The four crew members will perform extensive testing in Earth orbit, and Orion will then be boosted into a free-return trajectory around the Moon , which will return Orion to Earth for re-entry and splashdown. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than September 2025. Artemis III (2026) is planned to be the first American crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The mission depends on

1394-530: Is the fictional story of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. On 15 November 2021, an audit of NASA's Office of Inspector General estimated the true cost of the Artemis program at about $ 93 billion until 2025. In addition to the initial SpaceX contract, NASA awarded two rounds of separate contracts in May 2019 and September 2021, on aspects of the HLS to encourage alternative designs, separately from

1476-619: Is to "provide for operational implementation of important obligations contained in the Outer Space Treaty and other instruments." The Accords are a single document, signed by each country that commits to the Accords' principles. Bilateral agreements between space agencies for specific operations on the Moon and beyond are expected to reference the Accords and implement them in particular projects. The provisions: The Artemis Accords have generally been welcomed for advancing international law and cooperation in space. Observers note that

1558-469: Is working with Germany and a few other governments to start a modest research effort with the hope to propose a LOX / methane reusable launch vehicle by mid-2015. If built, flight testing would likely not start before approximately 2026. The design objective is to reduce both the cost and duration of reusable vehicle refurbishment, and is partially motivated by the pressure of lower-cost competitive options with newer technological capabilities not found in

1640-719: The Ariane 5 launch vehicle can launch large satellites to geosynchronous orbit or perform dual launches—launching two full-size satellites with one rocket—while the other launch vehicles used for European payloads and commercial satellites—the European/Italian Vega and Russian Soyuz-2 —are small and medium-lift launchers, respectively. CNES and its partners in Europe—through the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative (GMES)—and around

1722-571: The Ariane 6 . CNES concentrates on access to space, civil applications of space, sustainable development, science/technology research, and security/defence. France was the third space power (see Diamant ) to achieve access to space after the USSR and US, sharing technologies with Europe to develop the Ariane launcher family. Commercial competition in space is fierce, so launch services must be tailored to space operators' needs. The latest versions of

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1804-672: The Artemis IV docking with the Lunar Gateway is planned for late 2028, the Artemis V docking with the European Space Agency's ESPRIT , Canada's Canadarm3, and NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle is planned for early 2030, and the Artemis VI docking which is expected to integrate the Crew and Science Airlock with the Lunar Gateway station is planned for early 2031. After Artemis VI, NASA plans yearly landings on

1886-705: The Biden administration endorsed the Artemis program. More specifically, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki expressed the Biden administration's "support [for] this effort and endeavor". On 16 April 2021, NASA contracted SpaceX to develop, manufacture, and fly two lunar landing flights with the Starship HLS lunar lander. Blue Origin and Dynetics protested the award to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on 26 April. After

1968-793: The Constellation program and the Asteroid Redirect Mission . Originally legislated by the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 , Constellation included the development of Ares I , Ares V , and the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. The program ran from the early 2000s until 2010. In May 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama established the Augustine Committee to take into account several objectives including support for

2050-535: The Donald Trump administration was drafting a new international agreement for mining on the Moon , which would draw from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty . Ten days later, then- NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine officially announced the Artemis Accords, a series of agreements with partner nations aimed at establishing a governing framework for exploring and mining the Moon. The Accords originated from

2132-607: The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) second stage, which performs the trans-lunar injection burn to send Orion to lunar space. For Artemis I, Orion braked into a polar distant retrograde lunar orbit and remained for about six days before boosting back toward Earth. The Orion capsule separated from its service module, re-entered the atmosphere for aerobraking , and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean under parachutes. Artemis II (2025)

2214-493: The International Space Station is giving French scientists the opportunity to perform original experiments in microgravity . CNES is also studying formation flying, a technique whereby several satellites fly components of a much heavier and complex instrument in a close and tightly controlled configuration, with satellites being as close as tens of meters apart. CNES is studying formation flying as part of

2296-489: The International Space Station , development of missions beyond low Earth orbit (including the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth objects ), and use of the commercial space industry within defined budget limits. The committee concluded that the Constellation program was massively underfunded and that a 2020 Moon landing was impossible. Constellation was subsequently put on hold. On 15 April 2010, President Obama spoke at

2378-480: The Kennedy Space Center . Artemis I was completed at 09:40 PST (17:40 UTC) on 11 December, when the Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, after a record-breaking mission, which saw Artemis travel more than 2.3 million kilometers (1.4 million miles) on a path around the Moon before returning safely to Earth. The splashdown occurred 50 years to

2460-592: The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 , which included requirements for the immediate development of the Space Launch System as a follow-on launch vehicle to the Space Shuttle , and continued development of a Crew Exploration Vehicle to be capable of supporting missions beyond low Earth orbit starting in 2016, while making use of the workforce, assets, and capabilities of the Space Shuttle program , Constellation program, and other NASA programs. The law also invested in space technologies and robotics capabilities tied to

2542-404: The U.S. Department of State , and the newly re-established National Space Council ; a draft was released to several governments for consultation before the final document was announced in May 2020. On 13 October 2020, in a recorded and livestreamed ceremony, the Accords were signed by the directors of the national space agencies of the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy,

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2624-622: The United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which signatories are obliged to uphold, and cite most major U.N.-brokered conventions constituting space law . The Accords were originally signed on 13 October 2020 by representatives of the national space agencies of eight countries: Australia , Canada , Italy , Japan , Luxembourg , the United Arab Emirates , the United Kingdom , and

2706-623: The United States . The Accords remain open for signature indefinitely, as NASA anticipates more nations joining. Additional signatories can choose to directly participate in Artemis program activities, or may agree simply to commit to the principles for responsible exploration of the Moon as set out in the Accords. The signature of the UK has been extended to the Isle of Man on 27 July 2021 On 5 May 2020, Reuters published an exclusive report that

2788-759: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln claims the Accords strengthen "the US interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty", namely "the basic right for individual States to allow the private sector to become engaged" in commercial activities. The weakened alternative interpretation is that "unilateral approval of commercial exploitation is not in compliance with the Outer Space Treaty, and that only an international regime, notably—presumably—including an international licensing system, could legitimise such commercial exploitation." Artemis program The Artemis program

2870-691: The 2030s were still intended as of May 2019 . In mid-2019, NASA requested US$ 1.6 billion in additional funding for Artemis for fiscal year 2020, while the Senate Appropriations Committee requested from NASA a five-year budget profile which is needed for evaluation and approval by Congress . In February 2020, the White House requested a funding increase of 12% to cover the Artemis program as part of its fiscal year 2021 budget . The total budget would have been US$ 25.2 billion per year with US$ 3.7 billion dedicated toward

2952-632: The 6,000 reports have been filed by the public and airline professionals. Jacques Arnould, an official for the French Space Agency, said that the data had accumulated over a 30-year period and that UFO sightings were often reported to the Gendarmerie . In the last two decades of the 20th century, France was the only country whose government paid UFO investigators, employed by CNES's UFO section GEPAN, later known as SEPRA and now as GEIPAN . On March 22, 2007, CNES released its UFO files to

3034-565: The 60th anniversary of the founding of its space program (pursuant to meetings in November 2021 between U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and French President Emmanuel Macron in which he expressed France's intent to join). Saudi Arabia signed the Accords on 14 July 2022, becoming the second Middle Eastern and Arab country to join. On 13 December 2022, at the United States–Africa Leaders Summit , Rwanda and Nigeria became

3116-560: The Accords at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Dubai, with the head of the Polish Space Agency expressing a desire to develop indigenous Polish space technology. Mexico joined the Accords in December 2023. In 2022, the number of signatories of the Accords more than doubled from the previous year: Israel signed, followed by Romania, Bahrain, and Singapore in March; Colombia in May, and France on 7 June 2022,

3198-683: The Artemis missions. As of 2024, the Airlock module is under construction by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre . NASA has highlighted five key points for the mission (in chronological order): CNES It operates from the Toulouse Space Centre and the Guiana Space Centre . The president of CNES is Philippe Baptiste . CNES is a member of Institute of Space, its Applications and Technologies . It

3280-742: The Artemis program are derived from the now-cancelled Constellation program : the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) (as a reincarnation of Ares V ). Other elements of the program, such as the Lunar Gateway space station and the Human Landing System , are in development by government space agencies and private spaceflight companies, collaborations bound by the Artemis Accords and governmental contracts. The Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft and

3362-876: The Earth observation satellite PARASOL and the CALIPSO environment and weather satellite. It has also collaborated with the Indian Space Agency ( ISRO ) on the Megha-Tropiques Mission , which is studying the water cycle and how it has been impacted by climate change . CNES plays a major role in the ESA's Living Planet Programme of Earth observation satellites, having constructed the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite . In December 2006, CNES announced that it would publish its UFO archive online by late January or mid-February. Most of

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3444-547: The European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA), and—in a wider international context—in the Cospas-Sarsat search-and-rescue system. The aforementioned Galileo navigation programme, though intended primarily for civilian navigational use, has a military purpose as well, like the similar American Global Positioning System and Russian GLONASS satellite navigational systems. In addition to Spot and

3526-466: The GAO rejected the protests, Blue Origin sued NASA over the award, and NASA agreed to stop work on the contract until 1 November 2021 as the lawsuit proceeded. The judge dismissed the suit on 4 November 2021 and NASA resumed work with SpaceX. On 25 September 2021, NASA released its first digital, interactive graphic novel in celebration of National Comic Book Day. "First Woman: NASA's Promise for Humanity"

3608-519: The Gateway space station. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than March 2031. As of 2024, the Airlock module is under construction. Support missions include robotic landers, delivery of Gateway modules, Gateway logistics, delivery of the HLS, and delivery of elements of the Moon base. Most of these missions are executed under NASA contracts to commercial providers. Under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, several robotic landers will deliver scientific instruments and robotic rovers to

3690-407: The Human Landing System form the main spaceflight infrastructure for Artemis, and the Lunar Gateway plays a supporting role in human habitation. Supporting infrastructures for Artemis include the Commercial Lunar Payload Services , development of ground infrastructures , Artemis Base Camp on the Moon, Moon rovers, and spacesuits. Some aspects of the program have been criticized, such as the use of

3772-445: The Kennedy Space Center , announcing the administration's plans for NASA and cancelling the non-Orion elements of Constellation on the premise that the program had become nonviable. He instead proposed US$ 6 billion in additional funding and called for development of a new heavy-lift rocket program to be ready for construction by 2015 with crewed missions to Mars orbit by the mid-2030s. On 11 October 2010, President Obama signed into law

3854-423: The Moon from then on. However, the NASA Inspector General has called the schedules unrealistic. The Artemis program is organized around a series of SLS missions. These space missions will increase in complexity and are scheduled to occur at intervals of a year or more. NASA and its partners have planned Artemis I through Artemis V missions; later Artemis missions have also been proposed. Each SLS mission centers on

3936-421: The NASA Inspector General estimated that the launch platform could end up costing the agency $ 2.5 billion, more than six times its original value and may not be ready to support a launch until 2029, making the current launch schedule unrealistic. NASA has highlighted five key points for the mission (in chronological order): Artemis V is expected to launch in March 2030. The mission will launch four astronauts on

4018-488: The NASA administrator to "lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the Solar System and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities". The effort intends to more effectively organize government, private industry, and international efforts toward returning humans to the Moon and laying the foundation of eventual human exploration of Mars . Space Policy Directive 1 authorized

4100-514: The Netherlands and Bulgaria joined in October/November 2023. Angola joined in December 2023 during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. In 2024, Belgium , Greece , Uruguay, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Lithuania, Peru, Slovakia, Armenia, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Chile and Denmark joined the Accords. Although a prerequisite for taking part in the Artemis Program, the Accords have been interpreted as codifying key principles and guidelines for exploring space generally. Their stated purpose

4182-408: The Outer Space Treaty to prevail. Acceptance of the Artemis Accords is a prerequisite for participation in NASA's Artemis lunar program . Critics also contend that since the Outer Space Treaty expressly forbids nations from staking claim to another planetary body, the Accords violate space law by allowing signatories to lay claim to any resources extracted from celestial objects. Frans von der Dunk of

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4264-404: The SLS core stage for Artemis II was the last to be fully built at the Michoud Assembly Facility : future missions starting with Artemis III will have the core stage partly built after arriving at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, managed by Exploration Ground Systems , which was deemed to be more efficient by program officials. In July, the Orion spacecraft was moved from the testing cell to

4346-453: The Space Launch System, and the Orion spacecraft for deep space missions, while reducing Earth science research and calling for the elimination of NASA's education office. On 11 December 2017, President Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1 , a change in national space policy that provides for a U.S.-led, integrated program with private sector partners for a human return to the Moon, followed by missions to Mars and beyond. The policy calls for

4428-421: The Swedish-led PRISMA project and on its own with the Simbol-x x-ray telescope mission. CNES currently collaborates with other space agencies on a number of projects, including orbital telescopes like INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory , XMM-Newton , and COROT and space probes like Mars Express , Venus Express , Cassini-Huygens , and Rosetta . CNES has collaborated with NASA on missions like

4510-441: The U.S. In September 2023, Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR and Member of the DLR Executive Board Walther Pelzer, signed the Accords for Germany in the German embassy in Washington D.C. The ceremony was attended and witnessed as well by Space-Coordinator of the German Government, Anna Christmann, the current German ambassador in Washington, Andreas Michaelis as well as the Administrator of NASA, Bill Nelson. Iceland,

4592-417: The United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. The head of the Ukrainian national space agency signed the Accords exactly one month later. In 2021, South Korea became the tenth country to sign the Accords, with New Zealand joining a week later. The following June, Brazil became the first country in Latin America to join the Artemis Accords, after previously indicating its intent to sign in 2020. Poland signed

4674-446: The accession of Denmark , 48 countries have signed the Accords, including twenty-four in Europe , eight in Asia , seven in South America , four in North America , three in Africa , and two in Oceania . Drafted by NASA and the U.S. Department of State , the Accords establish a framework for cooperation in the civil exploration and peaceful use of the Moon , Mars , and other astronomical objects . They are explicitly grounded in

4756-418: The airlock module of Starship HLS was conducted in June 2024. The NASA Inspector General has called the development schedule for Artemis III unrealistic and estimated that the Moon landing could be pushed to as late as 2028, saying that NASA officials had raised the possibility of using Artemis III to complete an additional fly-by of the Moon rather than a lunar landing mission. In March 2024, NASA announced

4838-487: The altitude chamber inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Rocket stacking operations began on 20 November 2024, when the left aft assembly of the booster was stacked onto the Mobile Launcher. The stacking marked a crucial step for launch in late 2025. Artemis II is to be crewed by four astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman , Pilot Victor J. Glover , Payload Specialist Christina Koch , and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen . Jenni Sidey-Gibbons

4920-436: The day since NASA's Apollo 17 Moon landing, the last human crewed mission to touch down on the lunar surface. Artemis II is scheduled to launch in September 2025 as a crewed lunar flyby. The European Service Module for the mission was completed and handed over to NASA in 2023. Testing is underway on the Orion module for Artemis II. In April 2024, Lockheed was on track to hand over the Orion module by September after testing

5002-423: The eponymous Artemis Program , an American plan launched in 2017 to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024. Bridenstine stated that the agreements were intended to create a uniform set of guidelines for countries to avoid potential conflict or misunderstanding in future space endeavors; governments that sign the Accords may formally take part in the Artemis Program. The Accords were drafted by NASA,

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5084-462: The first African nations to sign the Artemis Accords. Representatives from signatory nations held their first meeting on 19 September 2022 at the IAC to discuss the Accords and cooperation in space more broadly. In 2023, signatories to the Accords continued to grow, including: the Czech Republic and Spain both signing within a single month, followed by Educador as well as India signing the Accords during prime minister Narendra Modi 's state visit to

5166-401: The first lunar landing since Apollo 17 to use an unpressurized lunar rover. NASA has highlighted five key points for the mission (in chronological order): Artemis VI is expected to launch in March 2031. According to NASA, the primary objectives of this mission would be to integrate the Crew and Science Airlock Module with Gateway and complete the fourth crewed lunar surface expedition of

5248-488: The first two Lunar Gateway modules to NRHO. The extra power of this mission's SLS Block 1B will allow it to deliver the I-HAB Gateway module for connection to the Lunar Gateway. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than September 2028. Artemis V (2030) is planned to be the third crewed lunar landing, which will deliver four astronauts to the Lunar Gateway station. The mission will deliver the European Space Agency 's ESPRIT refueling and communications module and Canadarm3 ,

5330-494: The future Pleiades satellites, CNES is working for the defence community as prime contractor for the Helios photo-reconnaissance satellites . Global Monitoring for Environment and Security —a joint initiative involving the EU, ESA, and national space agencies—pools space resources to monitor the environment and protect populations, though it also encompasses satellite support for armed forces on border patrol, maritime security, and peacekeeping missions. France's contribution to

5412-480: The initial HLS development effort. It announced in March 2022 that it was developing new sustainability rules and pursuing both a Starship HLS upgrade (an option under the initial SpaceX contract) and new competing alternative designs. These came after criticism from members of Congress over lack of redundancy and competition, and led NASA to ask for additional support. Artemis I was originally scheduled for late 2016, and as delays accrued, eventually for late 2021, but

5494-425: The initial contract to commission an upgraded Starship HLS for Artemis IV and a separate contract to Blue Origin to develop a third crewed lunar lander, which will make its first crewed flight as part of the Artemis V mission. The first two Gateway modules (PPE and HALO) will be delivered to NRHO in a single launch using a Falcon Heavy launcher. Originally planned to be available prior to Artemis III, as of 2021 it

5576-411: The launch date was then pushed back to 29 August 2022. Various delays related to final infrastructure repairs and weather pushed the launch date further out. In October 2022, NASA launch managers decided on a new launch date in November, which were again slightly delayed due to preparation and weather. On 16 November at 01:47:44 EST (06:47:44 UTC), Artemis I successfully launched from

5658-426: The launch of an SLS launch vehicle carrying an Orion spacecraft . Missions after Artemis II will depend on support missions launched by other organizations and spacecraft for support functions. Artemis I (2022) was the successful uncrewed test of the SLS and Orion, and was the first test flight for both craft. The Artemis I mission placed Orion into a lunar orbit and then returned to Earth. The SLS Block 1 design uses

5740-433: The lunar surface after Artemis I. Additional CLPS missions are planned throughout the Artemis program to deliver payloads to the Moon base. These include habitat modules and rovers in support of crewed missions. A Human Landing System (HLS) is a spacecraft that can convey crew members from NRHO to the lunar surface, support them on the surface, and return them to NRHO. Each crewed landing needs one HLS, although some or all of

5822-545: The lunar surface environment on space crops. The third instrument is the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer, or LDA, an internationally contributed payload that will measure the regolith's ability to propagate an electric field. Artemis IV is expected to launch in September 2028. Prior to the launch of the mission, a Falcon Heavy is planned to launch the first two Lunar Gateway elements: the Power and Propulsion Element and Habitation and Logistics Outpost , now scheduled for 2027 . Artemis IV will then be responsible for launching with

5904-457: The lunar-focused campaign. The campaign, later named Artemis, draws upon legacy US spacecraft programs, including the Orion space capsule, the Lunar Gateway space station, and Commercial Lunar Payload Services , and creates entirely new programs such as the Human Landing System. The in-development Space Launch System is expected to serve as the primary launch vehicle for Orion, while commercial launch vehicles will launch various other elements of

5986-674: The overall space exploration framework, ensured continued support for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services , Commercial Resupply Services , and expanded the Commercial Crew Development program. On 30 June 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to re-establish the National Space Council , chaired by Vice-President Mike Pence . The Trump administration's first budget request kept Obama-era human spaceflight programs in place: Commercial Resupply Services, Commercial Crew Development,

6068-720: The presence of human cultural heritage in outer space and the need to protect it. With Australia signing and ratifying both the Moon Treaty as well as the Artemis Accords, there has been a discussion if they can be harmonized. In this light an Implementation Agreement for the Moon Treaty has been advocated for, as a way to compensate for the shortcomings of the Moon Treaty and to harmonize it with other laws, allowing it to be more widely accepted. The Accords have also been criticized for allegedly being "too centered on American and commercial interests." Russia has condemned them as

6150-469: The program. On 26 March 2019, Vice President Mike Pence announced that NASA's Moon landing goal would be accelerated by four years with a planned landing in 2024. On 14 May 2019, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced that the new program would be named Artemis , after the goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology who is the twin sister of Apollo . Despite the immediate new goals, Mars missions by

6232-419: The requested amount. In April 2020, NASA awarded funding to Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX for 10-month-long preliminary design studies for the HLS. Throughout February 2021, Acting Administrator of NASA Steve Jurczyk reiterated those budget concerns when asked about the project's schedule, clarifying that "The 2024 lunar landing goal may no longer be a realistic target [...]". On 4 February 2021,

6314-505: The scientific instruments to be included on the mission were a compact, autonomous seismometer suite called the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station, or LEMS. LEMS will characterize the regional structure of the Moon's crust and mantle to inform the development of lunar formation and evolution models. Another instrument is Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora, a.k.a. LEAF, which will investigate the impact of

6396-403: The spacecraft may be reusable. Each HLS must be launched from Earth and delivered to NRHO in one or more launches. The initial commercial contract was awarded to SpaceX for two Starship HLS missions, one uncrewed and one crewed as part of Artemis III. These two missions each require one HLS launch and multiple fueling launches, all on SpaceX Starship launchers. NASA later exercised an option under

6478-441: The substance of the Accords is "uncontentious" and represent a "significant political attempt to codify key principles of space law" for governing nations' space activities. International legal scholars also credit the agreement with helping influence space exploration in the direction of uniform standards of cooperation and peaceful use. The Accords have also been lauded for being the first time several nations have agreed to recognize

6560-458: The surface before the HLS ascends to return them to a rendezvous with Orion. Orion will return the four astronauts to Earth. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than September 2026. Artemis IV (2028) is planned to be the second crewed lunar landing mission. Orion and an upgraded Starship HLS will dock with the Lunar Gateway station in NRHO prior to the landing. A prior support mission will deliver

6642-745: The world have put in place satellites dedicated to observing the land, oceans, and atmosphere, as well as to hazard and crisis management. The best-known are the SPOT satellites flying the Vegetation instrument, the Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1 and Jason-2 oceanography satellites, the Argos system, Envisat , and the Pleiades satellites . CNES is taking part in the Galileo navigation programme alongside

6724-403: Was complete. A NASA OIG report released on May 1 reported the mission was still on track, provided corrective actions on the Orion heat shield were made. The Artemis II crew planned to conduct a series of trainings and simulations prior to launch, the first of which occurred in May. The SLS core stage for the mission was delivered to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in July 2024. Notably,

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