From morning brew a synopsis of lunar developments.
Let’s start with the touchdown. NASA’s Orion capsule cannonballed back into the atmosphere yesterday, successfully completing a 25-day mission around the moon. And we actually mean cannonballed: Orion reentered the Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 25,000 miles per hour, or 32x the speed of sound, while sweating through outside temperatures of about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But two sets of parachutes helped slow it down to a gentle 20 mph when it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
It’s a relief that everything went according to plan, because the stakes are ~astronomical~: Humans are trying to get to the lunar surface for the first time in 50 years. Orion was a part of the first mission stemming from NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to plop humans on the moon as soon as 2025.
Ispace was formed in order to compete in the Google Lunar X Prize competition, but its ambitions have ballooned since then. Now, it’s aiming to create an “economically viable ecosystem” around the moon, its founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada told CNBC.
But this historic landing attempt won’t happen for months. While Orion took just five days to reach the moon, ispace’s mission is taking the “avoid tolls” route on Google Maps to conserve energy. It’s not expected to land until early April 2023.
Let’s start with the touchdown. NASA’s Orion capsule cannonballed back into the atmosphere yesterday, successfully completing a 25-day mission around the moon. And we actually mean cannonballed: Orion reentered the Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 25,000 miles per hour, or 32x the speed of sound, while sweating through outside temperatures of about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But two sets of parachutes helped slow it down to a gentle 20 mph when it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
It’s a relief that everything went according to plan, because the stakes are ~astronomical~: Humans are trying to get to the lunar surface for the first time in 50 years. Orion was a part of the first mission stemming from NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to plop humans on the moon as soon as 2025.
- This mission, known as Artemis I, was uncrewed, but NASA is hoping to launch Artemis II, with humans on board, by 2024.
- Artemis III is the Holy Grail: That’s when NASA will attempt to land humans on the moon again. But given all the moving parts (a lunar lander to be provided by SpaceX, new lunar space suits), it’ll be a shock if it happens by 2025.
And who went to the moon yesterday?
Hours before Orion splashed down, a SpaceX rocket blasted off carrying a lunar lander made by Japanese company ispace. If the ispace vehicle makes a successful landing, it’ll be the first time a private company accomplished the feat. To date, only the US, China, and Russia have successfully completed what’s called “soft landings” on the moon.Ispace was formed in order to compete in the Google Lunar X Prize competition, but its ambitions have ballooned since then. Now, it’s aiming to create an “economically viable ecosystem” around the moon, its founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada told CNBC.
But this historic landing attempt won’t happen for months. While Orion took just five days to reach the moon, ispace’s mission is taking the “avoid tolls” route on Google Maps to conserve energy. It’s not expected to land until early April 2023.
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