NASA is working on a major project which will help in achieving human presence on the moon. One of the major achievements of mankind is stepping foot on the moon.
But will we be able to do it again? “Yes,” says NASA. The last trip to the moon was a visit. But this time, mankind is so advanced that we are planning on staying there.
NASA is focusing all its resources and brilliant minds to make this possible very soon. This article would further discuss NASA’s Artemis Program. We will also be discussing it’s mission objectives in detail.
NASA’s Plans For The Future
It is easy for us to reach the moon now with the resources we have. But we still don’t know how NASA is planning to extend the stay.
Recently NASA has revealed some of its plans about future space strategies. This strategy consists of three main elements.
The first one being the LTV. The LTV is a Lunar Terrain Vehicle which as the name suggests would help the astronauts to move around.
It would also be able to carry a considerable amount of weight. The LTV is nothing but a robot with a cockpit to accommodate a human.
But the astronaut will still remain exposed to the extreme atmosphere of the moon. It is essential for them to wear EVA suits in order to survive the trip.
Habitable Mobility Platform
While the LTVs can do short trips, these habitable platforms can sustain long ones. It has a larger body when compared to an LTV.
It has a pressurized self-sustaining environment. This allows the astronaut to use them without having to use the EVA suits.
These mobility platforms can sustain very long trips and can travel up to 45 days without charging. This is an important tool when it comes to sustaining the human presence on the moon.
Foundation Surface Habitat
This is a solution which can house 4 astronauts at a time. It is a much-advanced tool when it comes to having short stays on the lunar surface.
This could act as a headquarters from where the mission gets coordinated. Gateway Space Station as the name suggests is very similar to the ISS.
It can grow in size over time and can get modified to suit the mission’s need. It will act as the base of operations for any further missions on the moon.
The Gateway will not just be useful in missions related to the moon but also for the mars and beyond.
Robotic Rovers
Astronauts will have limited resources during any space missions. It is close to impossible for them to manually do everything.
A robotic rover could come in handy in situations like this. For small operations like collecting minerals and data for the study, astronauts do not have to waste their valuable oxygen.
The robotic rovers can get it done with the least amount of resources. It is a vital component of any space mission.
To Conclude
NASA also revealed some insights about the upcoming operations in Mars. There are plans for sending four astronauts beforehand.
If everything goes well according to the plan, it would be the longest stay on space which mankind has sustained.
It would be the start of something big. We will be just visiting space anymore. Next time we do, we are staying.
But the mission objectives are so complex that it would take years to get the plan right.
