NASA’s Artemis II mission is headed to the moon!

This well written article addressed my math questions that i had on how we went around the moon and returned at a high level. Thanks 🙏

Now, I’m curious to know the transition (handoff) of the craft from earth’s gravity to moon’s and back to earth’s…. I wish i could see the various gravitational pulls (earth, moon and sun) on the craft, quantified along with their direction (on the screen in this fb video link).

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1B17ZTdYgs/

It's GREAT to have Humans back in Space! Next Stop, The MOON and Then MARS!

Not at all. This has nothing to do with science and everything to do with establishing a military presence on the moon to counter the perceived threat of the Chinese presence on the "dark side". No way the government would spend this kind of $$ just for science.

“”Yes!” to Return to the Moon. This is all SCIENCE and we need to remember science matters. No telling all the spinoffs from this program. And finally, some good, positive, encouraging news. Let’s do this.

What toxic gas were they testing for?

If China establishes a moon base first, is that a threat to us?

What damage did the Artemis II heat shield incur and what is NASA doing to fix any problems with it for future missions?

Look like some nice photos. I want to see some photos of the moon and earth at the halfway point for a better size perspective.

What was the purpose of just flying around the moon? Was it to test the laser that was used for communications? What do each of you think the flip side of the mission was?

Science reporting has become like a soap opera. Every news channel sings the praises of Artemis and how beautiful the Earth looks and how it shows we are all just one people on a fragile Earth, etc., etc. Haven't we heard all this sixty years ago when Apollo-8 showed the spectacular shots of the Earthrise over the Moon's horizon? Haven't we heard all the anxiety about re-entry to Earth sixty years ago? A couple of years ago, we heard the media go gaga over Jeff Bezos & Co going just above the atmosphere into space and returning as if it were something new. I think this is all unnecessary hype. They should just say Artemis is an important flight for future long-term stays on the Moon and for a manned flight to Mars in the future. The photos of Artemis are no more spectacular than what we have seen before. Today's youth may not know exactly what happened in the 1960s. It is important that they know about our space history without hype.

Yes, very excited!

Come from a family of Space Nerds. I remember watching Men In Space

as a child. My dad was somehow involved in Vanguard rocket(his work was classified). One of my brothers worked on the development of the Hubble Telescope and had previously worked with contractors on Saturn rockets. Dinner had to wait at times due to Star Trek viewing.I live in the home my parents bought in 1979 , a 15 minute ride to north entrance of KSC. Rocket launches viewing from my living room! Have lived here since 1971,

Have many acquaintances , most retired, who were involved in so many areas of Space and

its exploration. They were all so enthusiatic about their work.

I can remember watching on a 10" TV the first mooon landing in 1969. We were on vacation while living in Md. My dad actually beought this TV and an antenna with him although there was already both at rental. Who does that-Nerds!

I was very lucky to see first Shuttle launch from river right by the causway leading to KSC.

Sad to see the Challenger destroyed. And the last Shuttle at a park nearby with my brother and his wife, their first.

I didn't study astronomy in college like my parents and two brothers. But did study geology. I am very interested in learning more about the physical make-up of the moon and other planets.

Yes, I have seen the moon rocks here at KSC and also at the Smithsonian.

I hope I get to witness the next moon landing! They need to fix that toilet problem!

I will be thinking of questions later. Thank you!

I think that the fact that the Artemis crew got farther from earth than previous Apollo missions is being Trumpeted so loudly just illustrates that nothing really important new was achieved. It just means that they hit the brakes to turn back a couple minutes later than previous missions. All the reasons for manned moon missions sound hollow and vain. It's mostly about prestige and beating China.

I’m super excited! This has made so many of us hopeful once again! I’m so proud to see the diversity and intelligence and SCIENCE

Thank you so much for sharing the exciting photography of the Artemis II mission. Now 70 years old and having grown up during the "Space Race", it was disappointing to see Apollo 17 end US lunar exploration. Hopefully the pause is over and the adventure will continue, better managed, clearer objectives and not delayed within an honest submitted budget (am I asking for too much?) But past history has shown with cancelation of Apollo 18,19,& 20, Constellation program, highly delayed SLS, not the case. I'm concerned about current hostilities & conflicts that eat away budgets, resources, international relations, & human lives. These have caused reduction of space exploration in the past. The farther we go into space, we always turn around & look back at earth. I find very ironic that we can have cooperation in space, but can't get along on earth.

Fill so proud for Astronaut and NASA,We are so lucky to see human reaches to moon after 50 year ago.

I've followed Sci Am and space exploration since I was a kid. I'm now 76. I still have a framed photo of an early Thor blastoff. The Artemis II test is a truly amazing piece of work; wonderful science, exquisite engineering. We spend a ton of money on it. But I cannot help thinking why are we doing this ? What have we learned that could not be done with robots ? Same for Mars.

I know it generates a lot of highly paid scientists and engineering jobs, but to what end ? Evidence suggests that interstellar travel will never be possible, nor is there some civilization out there who wants to exchange knowledge. So what's the point beyond some interesting photo ops ?

Steve McChrystal

I would love to know how the astronauts were able to know the exact location of the moon before departing

It's great for humanity that space travel is back. It's great that four of us happily could round the moon and safely return. It's great that I hopefully once again can watch someone take one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

Maybe it will make us betterr realize that we have to stop fighting and work together to protect and improve the beautiful, but so tiny, the place we have - Earth. Progress create positivity and happier minds.

I was 14y.o, sitting in front of a television screen 1969, watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon. The years after watchinf the others who followed. Soon to see humans walking on the moon again.

I'm sure many people wonder why the "returning to land" has to be done at such high velocities with the resulting extreme high temperatures which are produces. Is it because of the lack of fuel necessary to decelerate, or possibly the lack of necessary "engine" and fuel" to do this? Obviously, the capsule cannot be very large or massive.

I would like to know the cost difference between the current manned mission vs an unmanned mission to accomplish the very same thing - collecting all sorts of data, as well checking the workings of the rockets, the heat shield etc. Certainly there is a big difference between the two ways of doing this, but the experience of seeing the far side of the moon, is available only to the astronauts only.

I am VERY excited!

I wish them God Speed, and a safe re-entry, and recovery.

Not very excited at all SLS and Artemis are a badly conceived program aimed at satisfying pork barrel politics whilst being astronomically epensive and not even matching Apollo. After tthe low Earth Artemis 3 mission I expect it to be cancelled.

I’m a Ghanaian and I’m very proud to see the Ghana flag 🇬🇭 being displayed by Christina Koch in the mission.

I learnt the spacecraft is coming down with a very powerful gravitational speed that the earth surface cannot contain so it has to be directed into the Pacific Ocean. What will happen if it falls on the continent? And what are the future plans to reduce the speed limit so that it lands safely on the ground surface like how aeroplanes do?

Congratulations to the team Artemis II mission. We pray for a successful return.

In knowing that the South pole is the site for exploration, what is going to be the light source for long periods of time???