The Artemis program is Nasa's plan to return humans to the moon as a stepping stone for an eventual voyage to Mars.

Twelve men walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972 and one of the goals of Artemis is to put the first woman and person of colour on the lunar surface.

The first test flight of an uncrewed Artemis rocket is to take place on Wednesday.

The name “Artemis” was chosen to echo that of the Apollo programme.

Artemis, in Greek mythology, was the twin sister of Apollo and a goddess associated with the moon.

A half moon rises as the Artemis I unmanned lunar rocket prepares to lift off from pad 39B at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on November 16, 2022. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

An overview of the Artemis programme:

Artemis 1: test flight

Artemis 1 is a test flight of the 322-foot (98m) Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew capsule that sits on top.

Blastoff is scheduled for 1.04am (0604 GMT) on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a two hour launch window.

Mannequins equipped with sensors will take the place of crew members on the flight, recording vibration, acceleration and radiation levels.

Orion will orbit the Moon before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Artemis 2: first crew

Planned for 2024, Artemis 2 will be a crewed flight that will orbit the moon but not land on the surface, similar to what Apollo 8 did.

The four members of the crew will be named before the end of the year. A Canadian is expected to be among them.

Artemis I is an unmanned flight designed to test the viability of the new SLS launcher and Orion capsule for crewed flights. It is the first step in NASA’s much-heralded return to the moon. Graphic shows details of the Artemis I Moon mission.

Artemis 3: Moon landing

The third Artemis mission will be the first to put astronauts on the moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

Nasa, for the first time, will land a crewed spacecraft on the southern pole of the Moon, where water in the form of ice has been detected.

Previous moon landings took place near the equator.

Artemis 3 is scheduled for 2025 but may not take place until 2026 at the earliest, according to an independent audit of the programme.

Starting with Artemis 3, Nasa plans to launch crewed missions about once a year.

SpaceX Moon lander

Nasa has selected Elon Musk's SpaceX to build the Moon lander for Artemis 3.

SpaceX's Starship, which is still under development, will serve as a shuttle from the Orion crew capsule to the lunar surface and back.

Gateway space station

The Artemis programme also calls for the construction of a space station called Gateway that will orbit the moon.

The launch of the first two elements – the living quarters module and power and propulsion system – is planned for late 2024 at the earliest by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Orion crews would be responsible for assembly of Gateway.

Astronauts would spend between 30 to 60 days in Gateway and would eventually have access to a lander that would allow them to travel to the Moon and back.

Gateway would also serve as a stopping point for any future trip to Mars.

LIVE NOW: The #Artemis era of exploration begins today with @NASAArtemis I, the first integrated test flight of the rocket and spacecraft that will bring humanity to the Moon. Watch @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion embark on their first voyage. https://t.co/Ngak08VFb0
— NASA (@NASA) November 16, 2022

Destination Mars

The ultimate objective of the Artemis programme is what Nasa calls the "next giant leap -- human exploration of Mars".

Nasa will use knowledge gained from Artemis about next generation spacesuits, vehicles, propulsion, resupply and other areas to prepare for a trip to Mars.

The goal is to learn how to maintain a human presence in deep space for a long period.

Creating a "base camp" on the moon is part of the plan with astronauts staying on the lunar surface for up to two months.

While a trip to the moon takes just a few days, a voyage to Mars would take a minimum of several months.

AFP

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