Artemis II Mission

[RedRamage]

Anyone else excited about this? I mean obviously this isn't the same as the Apollo missions, but I'm still excited to see that we're going back to the moon. I was technically alive for some of the Apollo missions, but let's just say that the astronauts and I were both using the same type of bathroom facilities then.

It'll be pretty cool to watch people walking on the moon live. Granted, that's the Artemis III mission, but they have to do this mission first so this will be one step closer. Just over 9 hours when I'm posting this until launch. 

[oblong]

Artemis III is no longer set as a landing mission. Isaacman reconfigured the plans, in a good way.  I’m still skeptical that will happen as they don’t even have a lander settled yet. But yeah I have been excited for this mission for a long time. I took the day of work for it. 

what is different about Artemis and Apollo is Apollos focus was going to the moon.  Artemis is about deep space with the moon as a steppingstone for that.  They are testing different things.  Apollo was about learning how to do it.  Was the math correct?   Do the radars and communication systems work?   The problems being solved were more practical.
 

We have the tools now for that so focus can shift to the equipment itself like the Orion capsules performance. 
 

Artemis II is going to slingshot around the moon, like Apollo 13 had to do after their problem.  They. will not go into orbit   There’s no need to.  The risk and fuel requirements are unnecessary .  They know they can do it when the time comes. Most Apollo lunar missions started in a free return launch trajectory and once things looked good they altered course for their lunar orbit path.  

Humans have not left earth orbit since December 1972, This is a very big deal for space enthusiasts.  

 

[RedRamage]

Part of me would be so incredibly hyped to be in a mission like this... then another part of me says: Could you really spend 10 days in a small room with 3 other people? The introvert in me panics at that thought.

[ewsieg]

I can understand that concern, but man, no way could you stop me if I had a chance to be in that capsule.  The idea of being where so few have, getting to see things so few have seen, taking in those views.... I would be in my glory.  Can't remember who/what it was, knowing me probably something I listened on a podcast, but they had quotes/conversations from astronauts and many talked about the greatest thing about being in space was a feeling of just how small we are, even as a whole, yet most talked about how connected they felt too.  

I just tried to look it up, and pretty sure it was the Overview Effect which was a book by Frank White.  I have never read it, so likely an article or podcast about it.  I've been lucky enough to see a few amazing views on this Earth, it sounds like its the same feeling, but with an exponential force.

Found this while searching and watching it now.  

 

[oblong]

Going up in an Orion would be a lot better than an Apollo command module.  It’s got about 50 % more space but also another crew member. But the interior is also laid out favorably. It’s not cockpit style with switches and dials guages. It’s touchscreens.  
 

embedded in the Apollo 10 transcript is the realization that a “turd” was floating around. Fecal containment devices.  

[Deleterious]

 

[Edman85]