This second Artemis mission is also the first manned flight for the Return to the Moon program. unlike Artemis 1which was an unmanned flight, Artemis 2 will carry a crew of three astronauts subordinate NASA and one ofCanadian Space Agency.
The purpose of this task is to test the functionality of the transmission system, which consists of launcher SLS and Orion capsule, in operational manned flight configuration. As such, Orion will be equipped with oxygen tanks and an operational life support system that is not needed when the capsule is empty.
Like Artemis I, the second Orion mission will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida by the SLS launch vehicle. Orion will be sent into a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth. At its furthest point, the craft and crew will be more than 2,220 kilometers from Earth.
Close flyby of the moon at an altitude of about 7500 km
If ICPS is used during Artemis 1, the upper stage of the SLS, to send Orion into lunar orbit for this second mission, it is service unit Orion, provided by the European Space Agency that will take on the task. From Earth orbit, the service module will ignite its engines to inject the capsule into orbit around the Moon. The crew is expected to fly up to 8,889 km behind the moon before orbiting it and returning to Earth, where it will land in the ocean. The mission will take at least eight days and will collect valuable flight test data.
Before leaving Earth orbit, Orion will test the proper functioning of the service module’s propulsion and attitude control system. This demo will consist of detaching from the upper stage of the SLS and maneuvering around it to counter it!
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