Artemis 1 Science: Moon Mission Aids Deep Space Exploration
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL — NASA is about to launch the biggest rocket since the famous Saturn V took Apollo astronauts to the moon.
agency’s space launch system The (SLS) rocket is scheduled to launch on Monday (August 29) from Pad 39B here at the Kennedy Space Center. Artemis 1is a six-week unmanned mission to send the Orion spacecraft back into lunar orbit.
NASA Artemis The mission — named after the sisters of Apollo in Greek mythology — to establish a permanent human presence on Earth moon Teach the Agency how to bring humans to Mars. Artemis 1 will be SLS’ first launch and her second for NASA’s Orion capsule. This mission will serve as a stepping stone for Artemis 2 and Artemis 3, which will bring humans back to lunar orbit and the moon’s surface, respectively.
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Artemis 1 does not launch Crew, Orion It will never be empty. In fact, on board the capsule is a series of experiments designed to keep astronauts safe on future Artemis flights, with a primary focus on exposure to deep space radiation.
total 10 cube sat Aboard Artemis 1, three of which focus on radiation. These include a “space weather station” for measuring particles and magnetic fields, an imaging device placed at the Earth-Moon Lagrangian point 2 to measure radiation in the Earth’s plasmasphere, and for observing deep-seated effects. unicellular yeast studies. – cosmic radiation to living organisms.
Other CubeSats will use infrared cameras to study the lunar surface, searching for water and near-surface hydrogen in the permanently shadowed regions around the lunar south pole. One CubeSat, called NEA Scout, will be deployed in cislunar orbit and will spend two years utilizing solar sail technology to intercept and capture images of 2020 GE. asteroid Less than 60 feet (18 meters) wide. (NEA stands for “Near Earth Asteroid”.)
Orion’s commander’s chair is anchored by NASA’s “Commander Mounikin Campos.” Apollo 13 The lunar lander that helped bring that troubled mission back to Earth safely. Moonikin Campos is equipped with her two internal radiation sensors, with additional sensors embedded in the mannequin’s seat to measure vibration and acceleration forces during missions.
Mounikin will also wear NASA’s new Orion Crew Survival System suit. The orange flight suit is similar to those used at the time. space shuttle Missions, but with tons of upgrades. In an interview with Space.com, Kirstyn Johnson, who leads Orion’s new spacesuit deputy team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, described some of these upgrades.
“many [the design] Orion’s flight suit was modified based on how the current Orion vehicle is manufactured and how it interacts with life support systems,” said Johnson. So astronauts don’t have to decompress their suits to eat.
The suit’s familiar orange color is “iconic,” Johnson said, allowing rescue teams to more easily locate the astronaut in the event of an in-flight emergency. The suits fitted perfectly to the Mounikin, and when assembly of the suits for the actual astronauts began, each fit the wearer in contrast to the equivalent free-size suits of the Shuttle era. Custom built to fit.
Related: 10 surprising facts about the Artemis 1 lunar mission
Two other torso-only mannequins will accompany the Mounikin Campos to assist in the onboard radiological research. Each, called a “phantom,” is constructed of materials that mimic human bones and tissue, as well as organs unique to adult women, such as breast tissue and ovaries, which are susceptible to radiation damage.
The Phantoms have their own names, Helga and Zohar, and are each equipped with over 6,000 passive radiation detectors and 34 active radiation detectors. The pair will function as part of the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE), an international research partnership between the German Aerospace Center, the Israel Space Agency, and NASA. Zohar dons his AstroRad vest, designed to allow astronauts to leave Orion and other spacecraft shelter areas. sunlight event while maintaining protection. Helga does not wear her AstroRad vest, and researchers plan to compare the difference in exposure rates between Helga and Zohar during her Orion return.
“The primary purpose of the MARE experiment is to evaluate the effectiveness of the AstroRad vest in protecting astronauts from solar particles…it measures the radiation values absorbed by the vest-protected Zohar at Helga It is done by comparing it with that of ,” Shirit explained. Mr. Schwartz, his AstroRad Product Director during the press call on August 17th.
Thomas Berger is the Helga and Zohar principal investigator at the German Aerospace Center. He hopes the data collected by the Phantom will help Vest’s continued development. “Therefore, in principle, we will use the possibility of mounting these two phantoms on board Orion to not only measure the radiation load table received, but also test the possibility of new radiation protection measures,” Berger said. spoke on the phone.
The Orion spacecraft itself is also equipped with several radiation detectors. The Radiation Area Monitor (RAM) consists of six passive sensors to record total radiation exposure until the end of the mission. The European Space Agency also deployed five active dosimeters throughout the ship to monitor radiation levels in real time.
A key part of Orion’s radiation exposure protection system includes the Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor (HERA). HERA is designed to act as part of Orion’s caution and warning system, alerting astronauts to incoming solar particle events and allowing the crew to preemptively seek shelter.
Deep space radiation doesn’t just affect humans. Biological Experiment-1 is also on board Orion, with four of his probes to study the effects of radiation on plants and fungi. Ye Zhang, a scientist at NASA’s Biophysical Sciences Plant Biology Program, joined his Aug. 17 press conference to discuss experiments in advancing humanity’s quest for long-term sustainability in space. explained the role of
“These studies aboard the Artemis mission will help develop future countermeasures, identify strategies for developing sustainable crops, and advance scientific advances that ensure the health and productivity of our crew.” said Zhang.
This experiment will focus on changes in seed nutritional value, how fungi repair DNA, yeast adaptability, and algae gene expression. Researchers hope that observing these different biological systems will lead to further innovations in humans’ ability to survive long-term on the moon. Mars.
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