Artemis 4
Mission type | Gateway Assembly, lunar landing |
---|---|
Operator | NASA |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Orion (spacecraft) I-Hab |
Manufacturer |
|
Start of mission | |
Launch date | September 2028 (planned)[1] |
Rocket | SLS Block 1B (Orion) |
Launch site | Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B |
Contractor | NASA |
End of mission | |
Landing site | Pacific Ocean (planned) |
Artemis 4 (officially Artemis IV) is a planned mission of the NASA-led Artemis program. The mission will include the fourth use of a Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle, will send an Orion spacecraft with four astronauts to the Lunar Gateway space station, install a new module on the Gateway, and conduct the second lunar landing of the Artemis program.[2]
Overview
The mission will deliver and install the International Habitation Module (I-Hab) of the Lunar Gateway space station. I-Hab is being developed by the European Space Agency and the Japanese space agency JAXA. The mission will dock I-Hab to the first Gateway elements, the Power and Propulsion Element and Habitation and Logistics Outpost.
After docking, astronauts will board a Starship HLS (HLS) vehicle also docked to the station. They will descend to the lunar surface in the HLS lander for a multi-day stay.[3]
Artemis IV will be the first flight of the Block 1B version of the Space Launch System. For Block 1B the
As of March 2023[update], Artemis IV is scheduled to launch no earlier than September 2028.[1]
Crew
Position | Astronaut | |
---|---|---|
Commander | TBA, NASA TBA spaceflight | |
Pilot | TBA, NASA TBA spaceflight | |
Mission Specialist | TBA ESA TBA spaceflight | |
Payload specialist | TBA, NASA TBA spaceflight |
Elements
Space Launch System
The Space Launch System is a
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
Orion is the
Gateway
Gateway is a small modular space station to be established in Near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) in late 2024.[7] The first two Gateway elements (Power and Propulsion Element and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost) will launch together aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy and spend a year spiraling out to the near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon prior to Artemis IV.[8]
Human Landing System
Current Artemis IV mission plans call for use of the SpaceX Starship HLS Option B configuration to support the lunar landing and return to Gateway phase of the mission.[9]
Mobile Launcher 2
The heavier total mass of the SLS Block 1B vehicle requires use of the Mobile Launcher-2 ground support equipment. Current development schedules and challenges experienced by the ML-2 contractor team in the design and delivery of the system have placed this GSE on the critical path from a schedule perspective.[10] Delays to ML-2 availability for use will delay launch of the SLS Block 1B variant. The NASA Office of Inspectior General (OIG) estimates the earliest that ML-2 will be available for Artemis IV is November 2026.[10]
References
- ^ a b Foust, Jeff (13 March 2023). "NASA planning to spend up to $1 billion on space station deorbit module". SpaceNews. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (20 January 2022). "NASA foresees gap in lunar landings after Artemis 3". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (30 October 2022). "Lunar landing restored for Artemis 4 mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (26 September 2022). "NASA and ESA sign lunar cooperation statement". SpaceNews. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ "SLS Block 1 Crew, Block 1B Crew, Block 1B Cargo and Block 2 Cargo Evolution". NASA. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ Rincon, Paul (10 November 2021). "NASA's Orion spacecraft: A guide". BBC. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ Brown, Mike (15 March 2022). "NASA Lunar Gateway: Launch Window, Specs, and Orbit of the Moon's Space Station". Inverse. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (10 February 2021). "NASA selects Falcon Heavy to launch first Gateway elements". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Artemis 4 mission will still involve landing on the Moon". Universe Space Tech. 31 October 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ a b Smith, Marcia (9 June 2022). "NASA IG Slams Bechtel on Mobile Launcher 2". Space Policy Online. Retrieved 3 December 2022.