Context: NASA’s Artemis II crew travelled a record distance of about 4,06,771 km from Earth during a lunar flyby mission. The mission used a free-return trajectory, allowing the spacecraft to loop around the Moon and return safely without continuous propulsion.
- Artemis Programme is NASA’s mission to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence.
- Artemis II is a crewed lunar flyby mission, unlike Apollo missions that aimed for landing.
- Free-return trajectory is a path where a spacecraft uses gravitational forces to return to Earth without major propulsion.
- This trajectory enhances safety and fuel efficiency.
- Unlike Apollo’s circular lunar orbit, Artemis II uses an elliptical orbit relying on lunar gravity.
- Lunar slingshot uses Moon’s gravity to redirect spacecraft back to Earth.
- NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration): US space agency established in 1958, headquartered in Washington D.C., responsible for civilian space exploration.
- Artemis Programme: NASA-led international Moon exploration program aiming for long-term human presence and future Mars missions.
- Orion Spacecraft: Crew capsule designed for deep space missions, capable of carrying astronauts beyond low Earth orbit.
- Apollo Programme: NASA’s earlier lunar missions (1961–1972) that first landed humans on the Moon.
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