Orion's Humanity: How the Artemis II mission will affect the Russian lunar program

The American lunar mission Artemis II is capable of spurring the development of the Russian satellite exploration program, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe. On April 1, NASA launched the Orion spacecraft with four astronauts on board for the first time in more than 50 years. At the same time, experts note that our country lacks a superheavy rocket for manned flights to the Moon. In its absence, missions will require expensive orbital assembly of ships from several launches of lighter carriers. In response to the challenge, Russian scientists propose to rely on the development of the Earth's satellite using robots and nuclear technologies. The north pole may become a priority site for the Russian sovereign base on the Moon.

How will the flight of the lunar spacecraft take place?

On April 1, the Orion spacecraft was launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in the United States using the SLS (Space Launch System) superheavy rocket. There are four astronauts on board. Artemis II's flyby of the Earth's satellite was the first manned mission to the Moon in more than half a century: the previous expedition, Apollo 17, took place in 1972. Then the astronauts landed on the surface and delivered 115 kg of lunar soil to Earth.

As explained in NASA, the main goal of Artemis II is to test how Orion will withstand the conditions of deep space flight: temperature fluctuations, radiation, microgravity and dynamic loads.

The planned duration of the mission will be 10 days, and technically the ship's reserves allow extending the flight for another four. For comparison, the Apollo 17 expedition lasted 12.5 days, but included the landing and long-term stay of astronauts on the surface of the Moon. Artemis II does not provide for landing or entering lunar orbit — the ship will fly around the satellite and return to Earth.

Photo: REUTERS/Steve Nesius

The crew included Commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, as well as specialists Jeremy Hansen and Kristina Koch, the record holder for the longest stay on the ISS among women. During the flight, the astronauts will conduct a number of scientific experiments. Special attention is paid to studying the effects of cosmic radiation, one of the key barriers to interplanetary flights. It is expected that the results of the mission will help improve protection systems for future lunar bases and expeditions to Mars.

NASA's future lunar program calls for the Artemis III mission in mid-2027. Within its framework, astronauts on the Orion spacecraft will test dock with the landing modules of SpaceX and Blue Origin, as well as test new spacesuits. The next stage will be the Artemis IV mission, scheduled for early 2028, during which astronauts are expected to land near the south pole of the Moon using SpaceX's Starship spacecraft. Another landing is planned to be carried out as part of the Artemis V expedition at the end of the same year using the Blue Moon module from Blue Origin.

In parallel, starting in 2027, it is planned to deploy the Gateway lunar orbital station, which should become a key element for creating a permanent base on the Moon and preparing for manned flights to Mars.

What is the Russian lunar program?

— In Russia, the flight is closely monitored. To implement a manned mission to the Moon, a superheavy carrier, such as SLS, is needed, capable of launching about 100 tons of payload into orbit. There is no such thing in our country yet, and without it it is difficult to talk about a full-fledged manned program. Otherwise, the missions will require a large number of launches of lighter rockets, as well as complex maneuvers and docking in near—Earth or near-Moon orbit, which will significantly increase their cost," Lev Zeleny, scientific director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.

Therefore, they are currently developing an approach for intelligent satellite exploration using automatic stations and robotic systems. According to the expert, most of the tasks traditionally performed by humans can be implemented using such technologies, while significant groundwork in this direction has already been formed in Russian science.

Photo: REUTERS/NASA TV

In addition, it is planned to deliver a nuclear power plant to the Moon. This should expand the possibilities of conducting scientific experiments, operating space observatories and implementing projects for the development of minerals, the academician added.

As Lev Zeleny noted, Russian experts are also considering an alternative vector for satellite exploration — the north pole of the Moon. While other countries are focused on the south Pole, this region can become a sovereign platform for Russia, since, according to experts, it is not inferior in its characteristics. Exploration is expected to begin with the Luna-27 mission, scheduled for 2029-2030, in which it is planned to launch stations to both poles.

— Russia currently does not have its own program for creating a superheavy-class launch vehicle necessary for the lunar program. However, experts are developing alternative projects. In particular, to send a manned spacecraft to the Moon, an upper stage weighing 40-50 tons is required, while the most powerful domestic rocket, the Angara-A5M, is capable of putting only about 27 tons into orbit, which is not enough for such tasks, cosmonautics historian Pavel Shubin told Izvestia.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Roscosmos

For the first stage of a superheavy rocket, a block based on a medium-class Soyuz-5 launch vehicle can be used, the first launch of which is planned in the coming days, the expert added. However, this will require complex design work and significant funding.

Currently, priority is given to the creation of a Russian space station in the Russian space industry. This is a more understandable and technologically proven task, but it does not provide new opportunities for exploring the Moon, the expert noted. According to him, in order to participate in the manned program, it is already necessary to start training crews. A promising spacecraft that is suitable for such trips will begin test flights in 2028.

— Significant financial resources are needed to accelerate the manned lunar program and organize a long stay on the lunar surface. In the current circumstances, it is difficult to raise additional funds, so it is advisable to focus on automatic missions. After all, sticking a flag in and staying permanently on the surface of an Earth satellite are two different things," noted science journalist Roman Belousov.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Roscosmos press service/RSC Energia

He added that neither Russia, China, nor the United States have yet offered fully proven technologies to protect against lunar dust, which can damage equipment and pose a health hazard, as well as from cosmic radiation. Without solving these tasks, we can only talk about short-term manned missions lasting several days, and not about a long stay on the surface of the satellite.