370,000 km from Earth, Orion capsule ‘grazes’ the moon: “People will live there within these decades”

capsule Orion of PotTransported as part of the mission Artemis IIt passed about 130 kilometers from the surface on Monday moleA milestone in the mission to return humans to the moon.

In this framework, the supervisor of the NASA Orion program, Howard HuhHe assured that the mission is important to ensure that humans can remain on the satellite for long periods of time.

In an interview BBCHu promised “There will certainly be people living there in this decade.”

Interviewed on Sunday with the Laura Kuenssberg Project, the expert further explained: “They will habitats Y Rovers On the ground, we also work at NASA.

“That’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to send people to the surface, and they’re going to live on that surface and do science.Hu added: “These are the steps that will enable this future potential…and provide those opportunities and options for our children and their grandchildren and their children.”

Orion carried out the ignition of the motorized overflight this Monday, taking off at 7.44am, the first of two maneuvers required for entry. Distant orbit NASA has explained the Moon’s retrograde on its website.

At the time of the moon flyby, Orion was 370,000 kilometers from Earth.

The Orion capsule flew by the lunar surface on Monday before making its closest approach to the moon.Around the circular path Retrospective”, which means that it will orbit the Moon in the same direction as the Moon orbits the Earth.

After its lunar mission, Orion will travel about 64,400 kilometers beyond the far side of the Moon, a spacecraft intended to carry humans in the future.

Last Wednesday the 16th, NASA’s Artemis I unmanned mission successfully lifted off, aiming to prepare the way for lunar exploration to send astronauts.

The overall goal of NASA’s Artemis program Send men back to the moon He established a base there as a step toward reaching Mars for the first time in half a century.

The last NASA mission that saw its astronauts set foot on the Moon was Apollo 17, which took place between December 7 and 19, 1972.

During the 42-day mission, NASA seeks to test the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, powered by four RS-25 engines and two linked thrusters, which will provide 15% more power than the Saturn rocket used in the Apollo missions. , according to NASA.

In the same way, Orion’s capabilities will be scaled, it can fit up to four crew members, one more than Apollo, and water and oxygen reserves will allow it to travel independently for about 20 days.

(with information from EFE)

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