Cape Canaveral (dpa, d.de) – For the first time in more than 50 years, the US space agency NASA is planning to send astronauts to the moon again. The launch of Artemis II is scheduled to take place in Florida this evening.
During a test flight lasting around ten days, four astronauts from the USA and Canada will orbit the moon. The mission is seen as an important step towards returning humans to the moon and as preparation for later crewed flights to Mars.
Germany is also involved in the programme. A central element of the Orion spacecraft is the European Service Module (ESM), which is manufactured mainly by Airbus in Bremen on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). It supplies power and propulsion and provides the crew with water, oxygen and temperature control. The module is regarded as a key technology for future crewed missions to the moon.
Via the ESA and research projects conducted by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany is also taking part in scientific research within the Artemis programme. This includes studies into radiation exposure on the journey to the moon. It is hoped that the findings will help improve the protection of astronauts on long-term missions
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