The Artemis II Moon Rocket is Coming Together on This Week _NASA

As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, Artemis II was a planned mission by NASA as part of the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually establish a sustainable human presence there. However, please note that there might have been developments or changes since then, and I recommend checking NASA's official website or other reliable sources for the most up-to-date information.

Artemis II, also known as EM-2 (Exploration Mission 2), was intended to be the first crewed mission of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft. The SLS is NASA's next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle designed to carry payloads, including crewed missions, to various destinations including the Moon and beyond.

Here's a general overview of what Artemis II might entail based on information available up to September 2021:

Mission Objectives:
Artemis II was planned to be an uncrewed lunar flyby mission, where the Orion spacecraft would travel beyond the Moon, orbit it, and then return to Earth. This mission was intended to test and validate the performance of the SLS rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and various systems required for future crewed lunar missions. It would also gather valuable data on the spacecraft's performance in deep space environments.

Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle:

Orion Spacecraft: The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit, including missions to the Moon and potentially Mars. It consists of a crew module where astronauts would live and work, a service module that provides power and propulsion, and a launch abort system for crew safety.
Space Launch System (SLS): The SLS is NASA's powerful launch vehicle designed to carry heavy payloads into various space destinations. It is composed of different stages and can be configured in different ways depending on the mission requirements.
Mission Profile:
The Artemis II mission profile was expected to involve the following stages:

Launch: The SLS rocket would launch the Orion spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Trans-lunar Injection (TLI): After reaching Earth orbit, the spacecraft's propulsion system would be used to perform a burn that sends it on a trajectory toward the Moon.
Lunar Flyby: The spacecraft would pass by the Moon at a relatively close distance, allowing the crew to observe and collect data.
Return Journey: Following the lunar flyby, the spacecraft would use its propulsion system to return to Earth.
Reentry and Splashdown: The crew module would reenter Earth's atmosphere and safely splash down in a designated area, where recovery teams would retrieve the astronauts.
Artemis II was considered a significant step in NASA's efforts to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence there. It would pave the way for subsequent Artemis missions that would involve landing astronauts on the lunar surface and building a lunar Gateway as a platform for future exploration. For the most current and accurate information about Artemis II and the Artemis program, please refer to official NASA sources or recent news updates.