6 hours ago|Source: Space.com, ČTK, NASA
Astronauts from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Earth have tested an elevator that will take them to the surface of the Moon by the end of this decade. The elevator is part of the Starship landing module for the Artemis program, it is being built by the private company SpaceX, the Space.com server wrote.
The Starship HLS (Human Landing System) spacecraft will transport two astronauts to the lunar surface from the Orion crew module. The craft will also serve as a dwelling during the planned one-week stay on the Moon and then take them back to Orion, which will remain in orbit around the Moon.
Astronauts Nicole Mann and Doug Wheelock tested a model of the landing system elevator before Christmas. The pair were dressed in spacesuits to test the limitations of moving and working on the moon. The tested elevator model consists of a functional one baskets and control interface.
“The test allowed the astronauts to interact with the elevator system design and served as a functional demonstration of the hardware while providing an opportunity to receive valuable feedback from the crew,” NASA said in a statement.
NASA wants to return a man to the moon after more than fifty years as part of the Artemis program. At the end of last year, it successfully completed the Artemis I mission, when the unmanned Orion module flew around the Moon and returned to Earth. The next mission will repeat these steps with a crew, and the Artemis III mission plans to send two astronauts to the surface of the Moon.
The flight is tentatively scheduled for December 2025, but may be delayed until 2027, writes Space.com. According to the server, the reason is problems in the development and construction of the HLS by SpaceX, whose Starship ship recently exploded during the second test flight, but also the spacesuits developed by Axiom Space.
2023-12-29 09:00:00
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