Infographic – Artemis II mission milestones
Infographic – Artemis II mission milestones
The Artemis II mission begins with the launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket, with the Orion spacecraft attached to the rocket’s tip. Boosters, stages and protective systems are then jettisoned one by one. The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage will bring Orion into a stable orbit of approximately 160 kilometres above Earth before it, too, is jettisoned and Orion continues its flight. The spacecraft carries out initial manoeuvres and system checks near Earth. Subsequently, a powerful thrust – the ‘Trans-Lunar Injection’ (TLI) – from the European Service Module (ESM) propels Orion towards the Moon. The trajectory takes the spacecraft to the Moon, around it and back to Earth. During the lunar flyby, the spacecraft passes the far side of the Moon at a distance of several thousand kilometres, during which time radio contact with Earth is briefly lost and the crew carries out observations and takes photographs. After returning to Earth, the ESM separates from the capsule. Protected by its heat shield, the capsule enters the atmosphere and finally lands in the ocean by parachute. The ESM burns up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Credit:
NASA