This Tuesday, Bill Nelson, the director of NASA, shared his enthusiasm for the historic Artemis II mission in lunar orbit.

This mission marks the first manned trip to the satellite in more than 50 years. Nelson pointed out that the main objective is to learn to live for long periods in deep space.

During a press conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Accompanied by the crew of Artemis II, Nelson mentioned that the United States was considering returning to the Moon, but this time with a different approach: prepare for a possible mission to Mars and ensure a safe return.

The four astronauts who will be part of Artemis II had the opportunity to inspect the Orion capsule, which will probably take them to space in November 2024. The NASA director stressed that this step is essential in the strategy of return to the Moon and space exploration. .

Nelson stressed that this return to the Moon will be different in several ways, since there will be both commercial and international collaborations. This generated excitement in the global community for the challenge of deep space.

When it comes to space competition with China to be first, NASA has expressed hope that the United States will come first to ensure that the Moon’s south pole resources are shared by the international community.

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Nelson also recalled the words of former US President John F. Kennedy, who promoted space exploration and moon travel not because of its ease, but because of its difficulty. Nelson quoted: “It is the conquest of this harsh environment that will enrich us as explorers.”

nasa astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, They will be the ones orbiting the Moon next year.marking the start of the second phase of the Artemis project.

It is expected that the mission lasts about 10 days and that the return to Earth takes place under all security conditions. Behind this is the search and rescue office, run by NASA’s space navigation and communications program, which has used cutting-edge technology such as distress beacons for decades in more than 50,000 rescues since 1982.

Now, the Office of Search and Rescue is applying its proven experience to bolster NASA’s Artemis lunar missions. For Artemis II beacons will be used next generation calls Next Generation Advanced Emergency Pagers (ANGEL) on astronaut life jackets. Additionally, a locator beacon will be attached to the Orion capsule, allowing rapid tracking of the astronauts and the capsule.

“Our role in NASA human spaceflight reflects the daily work we do to support rescue efforts around the world, protecting those in distress in some of the world’s most challenging conditions.” explained Cody Kelly, NASA Search and Rescue Mission Manager for National Affairs.

Consisting of a compact device integrated into the suit worn by astronauts, the ANGEL beacon serves as a beacon of hope in the event of emergencies such as launch failures or landings outside the intended area. The search and rescue team, with its experience, will be able to use these beacons to quickly locate and rescue astronauts.

“The work we do is deeply personal. We know they are our friends and colleagues in this capsule and we need to make sure they feel safe throughout the journey.” said Kelly admitting that “It is truly an honor and a dream come true to be part of this great NASA effort.”