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It is great we visited the moon and still know its not a block of cheese, but let's be real about one thing. It outside our comfort zone and no vital amount of anything of use for us there. Kinda like fishing... you get to this one spot on a river and no bites... couple hours later, you move on. Why? Because there is nothing at the fishing spot, just like at the moon. But I sure hope we don't do another moon mission anytime soon, unless it's practice for a mission beyond the moon. Again. Glad we did the trip to show we can still do it, but focus on other things...
some_of_us_are_sane
(3,341 posts)I repeat, "EPSTEIN, EPSTEIN, EPSTEIN!"
muriel_volestrangler
(106,343 posts)In March 2025, AmericaSpace reported that the launch date could be accelerated by two months to February 2026. NASA responded in a statement, saying it could not confirm the revised date but noted, "We're looking for ways to enable an earlier launch if possible, potentially launching as soon as February 2026. A February target allows the agency to capitalize on efficiencies in the flow of operations to integrate the SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems while maintaining crew safety as the top priority."[42] By August 2025, more mainstream outlets such as NASASpaceflight, journalist Eric Berger and U.S. Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly also reported that the mission had been moved to February 2026.[43][44] In September, space agency officials announced that they were pursuing a launch window that opened on February 5, 2026.[45]
For the launch of lunar missions, there are both monthly windows of a few days duration each lunar month, and daily windows lasting a few hours on days within the monthly window.[46] The revised Artemis II plan, which called for Orion to conduct a shorter skip reentry, further constrained the days within a monthly window during which a launch could be conducted.[47]
The earliest launch window for Artemis II was set for early February 2026.[48][49] The January 2026 North American winter storm delayed preparations for the launch.[50] On January 18, 2026, the integrated SLS rocket, Orion capsule, and launch tower were rolled out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B.[51] A wet dress rehearsal of the countdown occurred February 2.[52] After the test, NASA announced that the launch would be postponed to March due to a liquid hydrogen leak that occurred during the simulated countdown. In addition to the leak, a valve associated with Orion crew module hatch pressurization required retorquing, and closeout operations took longer than planned.[53] A second wet dress rehearsal occurred on February 19 and was successful.[54]
On February 21, a helium flow issue was observed, triggering a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and delaying the mission to April.[55][4] The rollback began on February 25 at 9:38 am EST and arrived at the VAB at about 8:00 pm.[56][57] NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that an actual launch date was to be confirmed only after a successful wet dress rehearsal was complete and the results were analyzed.[51][58]
Launch scheduling
On March 12, after a Flight Readiness Review (FRR), seven two-hour launch windows were announced for April 16 and April 30, with the first launch window being on April 1, 2026.[59] On March 18, NASA announced that the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft would be rolled out the next day to Launch Pad 39B at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Meanwhile, the Artemis II crew entered quarantine in Houston, Texas to ensure they remained healthy ahead of the launch.[60] On March 20, after a delay due to high winds,[61] the SLS was rolled out from the VAB to launch pad 39B a second time.[62]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_II#Launch_scheduling
Not sure what you're suspicious of. You're right to always say "Epstein", but there are actual aspects of a cover-up happening right now, such as "Blanche: Epstein Files 'Should Not Be a Part of Anything Going Forward' at DOJ" which should get the attention, not a NASA mission with timing that goes back over a decade.
OLDMDDEM
(3,216 posts)snowybirdie
(6,715 posts)This is the first stage in a mission to Mars. Don't know the timetable
leftstreet
(41,048 posts)For lunar docking testing
Artemis IV in 2028, moon landing
I think it's awesome!
LudwigPastorius
(14,827 posts)Well, there is Helium-3, but, for now, it would be too damned expensive to mine and bring back to Earth to make it worthwhile.
I hate to say I agree with Elon Musk, but I do believe that colonizing other bodies in the solar system is necessary for our long term survival as a species. It sure as hell won't be cheap and easy, but there WILL be another extinction level rock or comet hitting the Earth some day...maybe tomorrow.
Trueblue Texan
(4,533 posts)...but that would cut into the profit margins of the ultra wealthy, so of course, we can't do those things.
Gore1FL
(22,960 posts)Unless you think the technological advancements to get there, the scientific discoveries from going, and the moon dust that might one day power our cities are not useful. I guess that can be an opinion to have; it is not one I share.
2naSalit
(103,236 posts)BE
ABLE
TO
SURVIVE
ANYWHERE
OFF
THE
PLANET
IN
OUR
CURRENT
PHYSICAL
FORM!
hunter
(40,758 posts)The moon has none of that.
Helium III has a few practical uses -- as a neutron detector or for ultra-low temperature cryogenics, for example -- but its future use as a nuclear fuel seems unlikely.
I don't see any good reason for people to go to the moon. I don't think a significant number of natural born humans will ever live in space, certainly not in such numbers for our species to survive extinction on earth. If we become extinct on earth by our own avarice and stupidity it's not going to be any different in space except that the end will likely be quick.
In any case, more than 99.9% of the species that have ever inhabited earth are extinct. There's no reason to believe we'll be any different. This planet has seen many innovative species come and go, sometimes in an instant of geologic time.
I love science and space exploration. I don't think putting humans onto big rockets and shooting them into space is the best way to accomplish it.