Luna, Artemis 1 prepares for live launch

Anticipation for this launch is growing worldwide: it is the first phase of the program which, after this mission, includes a second (Artemis 2) in lunar orbit and a third (Artemis 3), where it will return in half a century to walk on the moon.

Monday is a launch that has enormous symbolic value for the United States and is a unique opportunity for Europe, which plays a very important role in the Artemis programme. “This is a historic moment for Europe,” ESA Director General Josef Schbacher wrote on Twitter. He added: “In this decade – he added – the first woman and the next man will walk on deck. Luna and the European Space Agency are building the devices that will provide the impetus for their transport and support.” Indeed, ESA is involved in all phases of the Artemis program, from the European Service Module (ESM) construction of the Orion capsule, some elements of which were manufactured in Italy by Thales Alenia Space (Thales-Leonardo), to a futuristic space station.In lunar orbit access gate The green light is in the presence of three European astronauts destined to travel in lunar orbit and possibly walk on the moon.

Certainly among the astronauts destined to descend on the lunar soil, there will be a woman, as NASA has said several times, but the name has not yet been determined. Another great news for Artemis is that man’s return to the Moon will not be a loop: the foundations will be laid to build a stable outpost, a base that could in the future make the Moon a forward focus for future trips to Mars.

There is also a lot of Italian technology on the Artemis 1 mission, thanks to the collaboration between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and industry. In addition to participating in the Orion service module, the Argomoon small satellite, built for ASI by Argotec in Turin, represents Italy on the mission. It will be the only active European satellite in lunar orbit, from which it will capture technologies that will fly in the Artemis 1 mission.