NASA: Artemis should have six more missions

Artemis is a program of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and in the next few years it aims to restore astronaut flights to the moon and send the first astronaut to Earth’s natural satellite. NASA is now preparing that in addition to the first three planned and confirmed Artemis missions, six more missions could be funded.

One of the partners participating in the Artemis program is Northrop Grumman, which supplies NASA with solid rocket engines. In addition to the first three Artemis missions, the company could provide engines for the next six Space Launch System missile flights. The planned SLS rocket is to be used to transport human astronauts to the Moon, and a pair of auxiliary rocket engines for solid propellants are to be attached to the sides of the main stage. These engines are supposed to provide more than 75% of thrust when launching an SLS rocket. NASA also recently completed design tests for the Space Launch System.

The negotiated agreement could conclude an agreement in the amount of 49.5 million US dollars, which is almost 1.2 billion crowns. NASA is expected to provide Northrop Grumman with funding for the purchase of items needed to produce auxiliary engines for the fourth year of the Artemis program, but details of the agreement have not yet been finalized. Engine financing is expected for a total of nine starts.

So far, NASA has not released any more detailed information about potential missions with sequence numbers four to nine. However, the first three planned missions should start in November 2021 with the Artemis I mission, which should be the first flight of the Orion spacecraft launched by the Space Launch System rocket. The Artemis II mission could take place in 2023 as a manned flight around the Moon, followed by a return to Earth. Artemis III is expected to bring the first astronaut and another astronaut to the moon the following year, 2024.

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