Artemis 3 crew members are going to the moon in the near future as SpaceX passes tests.
Bringing The Artemis 3 Crew Members To The Moon
SpaceX, who is tasked to bring the Artemis 3 Crew members, has successfully fired its Starship engines in cold, lunar-like conditions as part of preparations for a human moon landing in the next few years. The company conducted a cold engine start test to demonstrate that its Raptor engine can restart in space and safely carry the Artemis 3 crew members to the moon’s surface.
The test took place at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and showed the engine firing for about three seconds. SpaceX has been tasked with bringing the Artemis 3 crew members to the moon in 2025 or 2026 using the Starship system.
Despite setbacks in previous Starship launches, SpaceX has completed the necessary corrective actions for an upcoming second launch, and plans to obtain a license for a new launch attempt in October.
NASA officials expressed confidence in SpaceX’s progress towards bringing the Artemis 3 crew members. However, NASA has stated that it is prepared to launch and bring the Artemis 3 crew members even if Starship is not ready for a moon landing.
According to a published article by Space.com, SpaceX could fly an alternate mission with a crew using a different spacecraft.
31 Engines Are Enough To Reach Orbit
According to a published article by Al Jazeera, despite one engine being turned off and another stopping itself, SpaceX founder Elon Musk confirmed that 31 engines fired overall, which is enough to reach orbit.
READ ALSO: The Possibilities Of Having Water On The Moon According To Researchers
