Draft:Artemis 6

• Comment: Please do not resubmit without improvement. Ratnahastin (talk) 04:53, 9 June 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: Please cite sources , see WP:INTREFVE. Ratnahastin (talk) 03:19, 8 June 2024 (UTC)

---

Artemis 6

Mission type	Crewed lunar landing, Gateway Assembly
Operator	NASA
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Orion Gateway Space Station Starship HLS
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin (Orion CM) Airbus (Orion ESM) SpaceX (Starship HLS)
Start of mission
Launch date	March 2031 (planned)
Rocket	SLS Block 1B (Orion)
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B
End of mission
Landing site	Pacific Ocean (planned)
Moon lander
Landing site	South polar region
Artemis program

Artemis 6 is the sixth planned mission of NASA's Artemis program. The mission will launch four astronauts on a Space Launch System rocket and an Orion to the Lunar Gateway and will be the fourth lunar landing of the Artemis program. In addition, Artemis 6 will also deliver the Crew and Science Airlock module. The mission is planned for launch in March 2031, although the date may change based on NASA updates.

Mission Overview

Scheduled for launch in March 2031, Artemis 6 is expected to continue the series of missions that build upon the lunar exploration architecture established by previous Artemis missions. While specific details about the mission’s objectives and crew have not been disclosed, it is anticipated that Artemis 6 will play a significant role in advancing the program’s goals of scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers.

Objectives

The primary objectives of Artemis 6 may include:

• Further development of the Lunar Gateway, a space station in lunar orbit that serves as a multi-purpose outpost for crewed and robotic missions.
• Delivery and testing of new modules or technology demonstrations that enhance the Gateway’s capabilities.
• Conducting scientific research and technology demonstrations on the lunar surface or in lunar orbit.
• Preparing for future crewed missions to the Moon’s surface.

Crew

The crew for Artemis 6 has yet to be announced. The mission will utilize the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B Crew variant, which is designed to carry astronauts and cargo to the Moon on a single mission. The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle will serve as the spacecraft to transport the astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit and back.

Prime crew

Position	Astronaut
Commander	TBA, NASA TBA spaceflight
Pilot	TBA, NASA TBA spaceflight
Payload Specialist	TBA, NASA TBA spaceflight
Mission Specialist	TBA, NASA TBA spaceflight

Spacecraft

Space Launch System

Main article: Space Launch System

The Space Launch System (SLS) is an American super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle used by NASA. As the primary launch vehicle of the Artemis Moon landing program, SLS is designed to launch the crewed Orion spacecraft on a trans-lunar trajectory. The first SLS launch was the uncrewed Artemis 1, which took place on 16 November 2022.

Development of SLS began in 2011, as a replacement for the retired Space Shuttle as well as the cancelled Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. As a Shuttle-derived vehicle, the SLS reuses hardware from the Shuttle program, including the solid rocket boosters and RS-25 first stage engines. A Congressionally mandated late 2016 launch was delayed by nearly 6 years.

All Space Launch System flights are launched from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first three SLS flights use the Block 1 configuration, comprising a core stage, extended Space Shuttle boosters developed for Ares I and the ICPS upper stage. An improved Block 1B configuration, with the Exploration Upper Stage, is planned for the fourth flight; a further improved Block 2 configuration with new solid rocket boosters is planned for the ninth flight. After the launch of Artemis 4, NASA plans to transfer production and launch operations of SLS to Deep Space Transport LLC, a joint venture between Boeing and Northrop Grumman.

Orion

Main article: Orion (spacecraft)

Orion (Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle or Orion MPCV) is a partially reusable crewed spacecraft used in NASA's Artemis program. The spacecraft consists of a Crew Module (CM) space capsule designed by Lockheed Martin and the European Service Module (ESM) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. Capable of supporting a crew of four beyond low Earth orbit, Orion can last up to 21 days undocked and up to six months docked. It is equipped with solar panels, an automated docking system, and glass cockpit interfaces modeled after those used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A single AJ10 engine provides the spacecraft's primary propulsion, while eight R-4D-11 engines, and six pods of custom reaction control system engines developed by Airbus, provide the spacecraft's secondary propulsion. Orion is intended to be launched atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with a tower launch escape system.

As of 2022, three flight-worthy Orion spacecraft are under construction, with one completed and an additional one ordered, for use in NASA's Artemis program. The first completed unit, CM-002, was launched on November 16, 2022 on Artemis 1.

The European Service Module for the mission reached substantial completion in late 2023.

Starship HLS, depot, and tankers

Main article: Starship HLS

After a multi-phase design effort, on 16 April 2021, NASA selected SpaceX to develop Starship HLS and deliver it to near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) prior to arrival of the crew for use on the Artemis 3 mission. The delivery requires that Starship HLS be refueled in Earth orbit before boosting to the NRHO, and this refueling requires a pre-positioned propellant depot in Earth orbit that is filled by multiple (at least 14) tanker flights. Two astronauts will transfer from Orion to Starship HLS, which will descend to the lunar surface and sustain them for several days before returning them to Orion. Following the return of the astronauts, Starship HLS will be disposed of by sending it into heliocentric orbit. The tankers and depot's second step included the SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 3. IFT-3 was the third integrated flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle, which the booster was B10, and the ship was S28. SpaceX performed the flight test on March 14, 2024. Starship successfully completed a full-duration second stage burn, reaching the intended orbital velocity for the first time, but broke up during re-entry in the atmosphere.

The fourth integrated flight test of a prototype Starship launch vehicle occurred on June 6th, 2024. The prototype vehicles flown on the flight were the Starship Ship 29 upper-stage and Super Heavy Booster 11. The main test objectives of this flight, both of which were accomplished, were for the Super Heavy booster to simulate a landing at a "virtual tower" just above the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, and for Starship to survive at least peak heating during atmospheric re-entry. This marks the first integrated test flight where both Starship and Super Heavy successfully reentered and performed a simulated powered vertical landing in the ocean.