Artemis II: One BIG Deal

While the world is not currently in the middle of a space race, missions such as Artemis II still have a significant role in society. Whether it is the cool backgrounds of the four astronauts or the dynamics of the rocket, everything surrounding the mission seems captivating. Nonetheless, some of the most crucial, yet seemingly unknown, components of the mission still waver in people’s minds. Therefore, instead of leaving minds blank, today’s articles will cover why the Artemis II mission was a BIG deal. 

First Maned Mission Since 1972: While the numbers may be surprising, before 2026, only 24 people had ever entered what is known as “deep space,” or the region of outer space beyond the Earth-Moon system. Each of those individuals was part of an Apollo Mission, a program that spanned from 1968 to 1972 in pursuit of new information and innovative technology. Another thing is that only 12 of the 24 astronauts actually set foot on the moon, and that number still stands today. Why has this occurred, though? Well, due to a lack of political motivation and government funding since the Cold War, space exploration has been less prioritized than it was back then. Thankfully, the four new astronauts who embarked on a 10-day journey over a month ago will usher in a new era of space-driven societal efforts.

Artemis II is Just the Beginning: Ultimately, one of the major goals of the Artemis II mission was to examine and build security around further space adventure. For years, people have discussed the possibility of sending humans to Mars; however, this task is much easier said than done. The technology and money needed for the project would already send the world into a spiral, and with the COVID-19 Pandemic, people started to lose interest. Nevertheless, the Artemis II mission was destined to change that mentality. In all, after several years, sending humans into space was the first step towards making contact with Mars much more achievable. It is truly up to all of humanity now to approach these successes with an open mind and a driven spirit.

Latest Facts Were Discovered: While the main goal was to prepare humans for Mars, other smaller successes were more instantaneous. For example, traveling outside of the atmosphere exposes humans to high levels of radiation. That is why, when flying on an airplane frequently, sometimes people contract cancerous cells faster. In the instance of space, while all humans are prone to radiation, women especially feel its effects. Instead of letting these awful concepts continue, during the Artemis II mission, astronauts collected data to hopefully assist humans back on Earth with developing preventative tactics. Ultimately, the usefulness of these collections is unknown, but the scientific community is hopeful they will provide adequate information for discovery.