HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — For the first time in more than 50 years, NASA is preparing to send astronauts on a journey to the moon, and lift-off could be as soon as two weeks from now.
When Artemis II blasts off, NASA officials say it will take us roughly 4,700 miles past the far side of the moon, taking us farther from Earth than any human has gone before.
It’s essentially a test mission.
NASA hopes to have astronauts land on the moon in 2028.
“I would say this is the most important human spaceflight mission for NASA in more than a half century,” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said. “Artemis II, you’ve got 8.9 million pounds of thrust, the most powerful human space launch system ever created that will accelerate to near-earth escape velocity, so nearly 25,000 miles per hour.”
Isaacman became NASA’s 15th administrator just last month after a contentious confirmation battle.
ABC13 met with him at NASA’s space vehicle mockup facility, where every NASA astronaut who has ever gone into space has trained.
“Every mission throughout the history of the space program, you hear Houston come over the radios,” he said. “That just goes to reinforce the importance of this facility.”
Speaking of Houston, I bet you haven’t forgotten our snub back in 2011.
The Space Center did not receive a retired shuttle to display after NASA’s shuttle program ended.
Funding to get one here was included in President Trump’s recent funding law.
But it hasn’t happened yet.
“I can certainly promise that we will do everything in our ability and within the law to make that happen,” Isaacman said.
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