NASA has finally launched to the moon with “Artemis 1”.

The mission hasn’t had a good star so far: After delays and exploding costs in development and construction, the first test launch had to be postponed numerous times – including due to two consecutive storms and various technical issues.

Woman and non-white countries on the moon
With the ‘Artemis’ program, named after the Greek goddess of the moon, American astronauts should land on the moon again in the coming years, for the first time a woman and a non-white person.

The mission will initially put four astronauts into lunar orbit with Orion, where two of them will transfer to a lander for the final approach to the moon. The start is currently planned at the earliest in 2025. A rover must also be involved.

Outpost planned for later Mars mission
In addition, outposts will be built on the moon and in its orbit, also as the basis for a later Mars mission. The European Space Agency (ESA) and the space agencies of several other countries are also involved in the project, which currently costs around USD 30 billion.

NASA put the last humans on the moon in 1972 with the Apollo 17 mission. Overall, the United States has been the only country to date to put 12 astronauts on the moon with the “Apollo” missions between 1969 and 1972.

Two “astronaut phantoms” on board
There are no humans on board the test mission “Artemis 1”, but two puppets – or “astronaut phantoms”, as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) calls them: “Zohar” and “Helga”. It is a project with German and Israeli participation. It is being tested whether a protective vest developed in Israel can effectively protect a woman’s body against dangerous space radiation.

“Thanks to a sophisticated energy-saving strategy, both phantoms survived the take-off waiting time well,” said DLR. “‘Helga’ and ‘Zohar’ are fit for flight.”