Have you heard about the Artemis Program? In short, this is the program that will take astronauts back to the moon. But there is so much more about this program that hopes to, eventually, takes humans to Mars.

It's Launch Day! The first mission of the Artemis Program is scheduled to launch on August 29 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 2-hour launch window opens at 8:33 a.m. So far weather seems to be behaving, but as you know, the weather is only one component of many that must come together to make a successful launch.

NASA’s rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), which will carry the Orion spacecraft with lots of experiments, microsatellites, and subsequentially the astronauts aboard, is the most powerful rocket in the world.

There are three test flights set. The first test flight is scheduled to launch on August 29 from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. On August 16, the paired SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft rolled out slowly from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center and onto the launch pad – very slowly, at 1 mph.

Test flights 2 and 3 will have crews, AKA astronauts.

The second test flight is set to have the spacecraft – and crew – go past the Moon, then come back to Earth. This would mark the first time that humans have been so far from Earth.

The last (number 3) test flight will include the first woman and man to land on the South Pole of the Moon where they will look for the Moon’s water and use it. Astronauts that will be on the Moon will be three 3 days away from Earth. The plan is to have them set up a functional way to live and work outside of Earth so that, when the time comes, they will be able to apply the same findings and ways in missions to Mars. Of course, Mars being a lot farther… 3 years away (round trip)!

This whole project will take a deep dive to closely study our closest natural satellite. SLS will also carry modules and robots that will land in different parts of the Moon and take samples and observations.

Fun fact: In Greek mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the Moon. Apollo was the last mission that took astronauts to the Moon.