The countdown for humanity to return to normalcy orbit of the moon It's finally underway. After years of preparation and several postponements, NASA is getting ready to launch. Artemis IIThe first crewed mission of its new lunar program, which will send four astronauts on a journey of about ten days around the satellite before returning to Earth.
This flight will not yet involve a lunar landing, but it will represent a decisive step: for the first time since the Apollo era, tests will be carried out on the deep space life support, navigation and communications systems of the Orion spacecraft with people on board. And, furthermore, it will consolidate the involvement of Europe and Spain in a historic mission in which international cooperation and technology developed outside the United States have an unprecedented weight.
When does Artemis II launch and how to follow the mission live
Barring any technical or weather-related setbacks, the gigantic Space Launch System (SLS) It will launch from launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, within a two-hour window that opens at 18: 24 local timeThis translates into the 00:24 in the early morning of April 2nd in mainland SpainIt's not a very convenient time slot, but for the most dedicated fans, it will be an almost obligatory appointment in front of the screen.
NASA has reserved several additional opportunities in the following days in case of last-minute problems. The schedule includes successive attempts during the days 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of April, as well as a new opportunity on the 30th of the same month, so the margin of maneuver is relatively wide if something doesn't work out the first time.
The coverage will be, literally, continuous. From hours before the rocket is refueled until the final splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, the agency will broadcast the main phases of the mission in real time through NASA+, its YouTube channel and other platforms. The broadcast will feature English commentary and, at key moments such as the launch, also a Specific transmission in Spanish through NASA's Spanish-language channel.
The official program includes a battery of press conferences and information events In the days leading up to the launch: the crew's arrival at Kennedy Space Center, press conferences on the launch status, a technical briefing just before the countdown began, and live coverage of the SLS propellant loading process. During the flight, NASA will broadcast images from the Orion spacecraft itself whenever bandwidth allows, and will release daily mission status updates from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Those who wish to feel more involved can register as “virtual guests” from NASA, accessing curated content, notifications of important milestones, and a digital commemorative stamp after the flight. In addition, the media will have access to dedicated audio lines to track only the sound of mission communications, as well as specific frequencies for the Florida Space Coast.
A historic manned mission, but without a moon landing
Artemis II will be the first manned mission of the program, conceived as a large-scale dress rehearsal before future expeditions return to the lunar surface. The Orion spacecraft, docked atop the SLS, will carry on board four astronauts: reid wiseman (commander), Victor glover (pilot), Christina Koch y Jeremy Hanson, the latter coming from the Canadian Space Agency.
The flight profile is designed as a trajectory of free return around the MoonAfter liftoff, the rocket will propel Orion into an initial Earth orbit in a matter of minutes. There, the spacecraft's performance will be tested, and a separation and rendezvous maneuver with the upper stage will be performed—a docking test that will be vital in the future when it needs to connect with the Earth. landing modules supplied by companies like SpaceX or Blue Origin.
Once these checks are complete, a key ignition will set the ship on course for the satellite. For several days, the crew will travel through the deep spaceThis environment is far more hostile than the low Earth orbit where the International Space Station is located. The goal is to validate the performance of life support, telemetry, communications, and autonomous navigation systems under real-world conditions, with the radiation and isolation characteristic of the cislunar region.
The most spectacular moment will come when Orion executes a flyover of the far side of the Moontraveling more than 400.000 kilometers from Earth. This will make its four occupants the humans who have ventured farther than anyone else, surpassing iconic records such as those of Apollo 13. Furthermore, the mission includes symbolic milestones: it will be the first time that a woman and an African American person get so close to the lunar environment.
After completing the loop around the satellite, the Earth-Moon system's gravity will guide the spacecraft back home. The final leg will test the Largest heat shield ever built for a capsuleDesigned to withstand temperatures near 2.800°C when Orion re-enters the atmosphere at approximately 40.000 kilometers per hour, the capsule will then be slowed by the deployment of parachutes until a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, where teams from NASA and the Department of Defense will be waiting to recover both the spacecraft and its crew.
Layered defense against radiation and other major challenges
Leaving low Earth orbit and venturing into deep space means facing a much more demanding environment. The Artemis II astronauts will cross the Van Allen radiation belts and will spend several days exposed to energetic particles from the Sun and interstellar space, a risk that NASA has been studying for decades and which, on this occasion, is being addressed with a strategy of “layered defense”.
Under the umbrella of the so-called “Matroshka Experiment”The agency combines advanced sensors and physical shielding configurations to monitor and mitigate the radiation dose received inside the spacecraft. The idea is to layer different materials and distribute the equipment so that certain areas offer extra protection in the event of a particularly intense solar storm.
The challenge doesn't end there. During the flight, there will be no possibility of a rapid emergency returnThis is relatively feasible on the International Space Station. Communications will also be more complex, with times when the spacecraft will be completely hidden behind the Moon and entirely dependent on its autonomous navigation capabilities. That's why Artemis II is conceived as a comprehensive validation flightEvery system, from propulsion to resource management, will be scrutinized before moving on to more ambitious missions.
In parallel, NASA has adjusted the program's roadmap. The Artemis III mission has shifted its focus to testing in Earth orbit and operations with commercial lunar landers, while the first descent to the lunar surface It is now reserved for Artemis IV, planned for around 2028. The idea is to gradually increase the level of complexity, avoiding unnecessary risks before having full confidence in the SLS-Orion suite and associated systems.
Spain and Europe, key pieces of the architecture of Artemis II
Beyond NASA's leading role, Artemis II highlights the growing importance of Europe and Spain in large manned missions. The Orion spacecraft does not travel alone: it is docked to a European service module provided by the European Space Agency (ESA), responsible for supplying power, propulsion, water and air to the manned capsule.
At the heart of that module stands out a component designed and manufactured in Madrid: the thermal control unit (TCU)Developed by Airbus Crisa at its Tres Cantos plant, this system regulates temperature, airflow, and water, ensuring that both the crew and critical electronics operate within a safe range throughout the entire journey, from takeoff to splashdown.
The fact that NASA has placed its trust in a non-US company for such a sensitive item This marks a significant shift in the distribution of responsibilities within crewed programs. Airbus Crisa had already demonstrated its capabilities in projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope, the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers, and the Ariane and Vega launch vehicles, and its technology flew successfully on Artemis I. Now, with a crew on board, the bar is set even higher.
European collaboration is not limited to hardware. The program includes contributions from multiple agencies: the ESA, the Japanese agency JAXA, the Canadian CSA, and partners from countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Australia, which contribute capabilities in robotics, communications, science, and space logistics. The approach is openly multilateral and collaborative, far removed from the logic of the Cold War that marked the Apollo program.
The Spanish scientific contribution: from the Sun to crew safety
Spain's role in Artemis II is not limited to industry. There is also a top-level scientific contribution. University of Alcalá (UAH)Through the group responsible for the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) instrument of ESA's Solar Orbiter mission, it has become one of the key supporters for evaluating the risks of solar radiation that the crew will face.
Since 2020, this team has been receiving and analyzing energetic particle data recorded by Solar Orbiter in the vicinity of the Sun. At NASA's request, UAH researchers will provide Low-latency data from the EPD instrumentThat is, measurements that arrive almost in real time and that allow us to estimate both the moment and the intensity with which a solar eruption could affect the region of space through which Artemis II will travel.
With this information, it is possible to anticipate episodes of particularly intense radiation and assess their impact. potential impact on the ship and its occupantsThe work involves analyzing exposure scenarios and operational recommendations. It also includes scientific advice for correctly interpreting this data, a task led by Professor Javier Rodríguez-Pacheco, principal investigator of the EPD instrument.
This is not the first time the University of Alcalá (UAH) has collaborated with the US agency in this area. The university previously advised NASA during the first flight of the Ingenuity rover on Mars, helping to assess the consequences of a solar storm that had sent charged particles into the environment of the Red Planet. Furthermore, the Spanish connection to lunar strategy goes even further: the current head of the office NASA's Moon to Mars (M2M) Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, a former student of the UAH, is closely linked to the SRG-UAH group.
A NASA antenna on the roof of Seville
The Spanish presence on Artemis II is also noticeable on land. Higher Technical School of Engineering (ETSi) of the University of Seville It will house one of the 34 stations distributed around the world that will track the Orion spacecraft's radio signals during its flight. NASA launched an international call for proposals to test tracking capabilities on a real crewed mission, and ETSi was the only Spanish center selected.
The platform has been installed on the roof of the building. OrbisatA system developed by the Spanish company Integrasys through its Luxembourg subsidiary. This antenna, approximately 2,5 meters tall, is designed to track spacecraft both during launch and in orbit, measuring, among other parameters, the Doppler effect of the signal, key to accurately determining the speed and trajectory of the ship.
It is worth emphasizing that this monitoring is complementary to which NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) performs the true backbone of deep space communications. The agency's goal is to assess the extent to which it can rely on a public-private ecosystem of external stations that strengthen their resilience and capacity in future missions, reducing their exclusive dependence on their own infrastructure.
For ETSI and Integrasys, participation in Artemis II represents a significant opportunity. The antenna will be permanently installed, transforming the school into a real tracking infrastructure beyond this specific mission, and strengthening the company's relationship with NASA, with which it already collaborates on other projects alongside agencies such as the US Space Force and Space Command.
The educational dimension is also important. The students of Master's Degree in Space Systems Operation Students from the University of Seville will have direct access to the data generated by Orbisat, allowing them to work with real telemetry from a crewed spacecraft on its journey to the Moon. It's a very tangible way to bring the classroom to the forefront of space exploration.
From Apollo 17 to Artemis II: how going to the Moon has changed
Almost half a century separates the last moon landing from Apollo 17 and the launch of Artemis II. In that time, the way we go to space has changed completely. Back then, the command module offered very limited space for just three astronauts; now, the Orion spacecraft and its European service module provide a wider and more habitable environment for four crew members.
In the seventies, power generation was based almost entirely on fuel cellsArtemis II will rely primarily on large solar, which supply electricity continuously and with less logistical complexity for a mission of this nature.
Computing is another enormous leap. The Apollo program's onboard computer had barely a few few kilobytes of memoryfar below even what a smartwatch offers today. Orion, on the other hand, has multiple redundant computers with processing capabilities millions of times greater, capable of managing navigation, environmental control, communications, and life support systems in parallel with ample safety margins.
Also telecommunications They have evolved radically. From an analog radio signal in the S-band of about 2 GHz, they have moved to a much more robust digital infrastructure, with greater bandwidth, independent channels for telemetry, voice, video and scientific data, and network management that allows the integration of monitoring stations spread across the planet.
There is also a fundamental shift that goes beyond technology. While Apollo 17 represented the final chapter of a essentially national space raceDriven by the geopolitical rivalry of the Cold War, Artemis II is the spearhead of a shared international effort. The United States continues to lead the program, but it does so with the support of partners from Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries, with an eye toward a stable human presence, not just a flag on the surface.
Dress rehearsal towards a sustained lunar presence
Although Artemis II will not land on the Moon, it is difficult to overstate its importance within NASA's strategy. The mission is defined as a manned test flightbut also as a key piece in a broader architecture that aspires to build a permanent moon base, to test the use of local resources and, in the medium term, to prepare for the leap to Mars.
The agency has divided its plan into several phases. First, to progressively increase the robotic and manned activity in the lunar environment and surface, testing technologies such as habitat modules, power reactors, and exploration vehicles. Then, building an infrastructure capable of supporting human stays of limited duration but with some regularity, supported by reusable logistics and landings every six months.
That roadmap accommodates both Artemis III and Artemis IV and subsequent missions, as well as complementary programs such as the Commercial Lunar Payload Serviceswhich seeks to have private companies supply landers and scientific payloads on a near-monthly basis. The ultimate goal is not just "to return to the Moon," but to stay and operate there on a sustained basis, in a context where competition with powers like China adds geopolitical pressure to the calendar.
The mission we are now undertaking will serve to refine operating proceduresto train the crew in critical maneuvers and refine contingency protocols in case of anomalies. All of this with a vision that goes beyond the Artemis program itself: many of the lessons learned will be applied to the integration of robots and artificial intelligence as co-workers in extreme environments, both on the Moon and in other destinations in the solar system.
With Artemis II, the return of humans to the vicinity of the Moon ceases to be a very long-term project and becomes a tangible reality, in which Spain and Europe contribute components, science, and monitoring capabilities which are essential for the success of the journey. If all goes according to plan, the flight will demonstrate that the SLS-Orion system functions in the most demanding environment and that international cooperation can sustain a new, broader, and more lasting phase of exploration, eventually leading to Mars as well.
