Because the 4 Artemis II astronauts prepare for his or her historic flyby of the moon on Monday, Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut, says this mission signals a leap in developments for future space travel.
Speaking with Global News, Bondar said the mission will push humans farther into deep space than they’ve travelled in many years, exposing the crew to conditions not experienced because the Apollo era.
The mission, often known as Artemis II, will send 4 astronauts across the moon before returning to Earth on April 10, 2026.
The crew, made up of three Americans and one Canadian, will travel a complete of greater than 400,000 kilometres from Earth — farther than any human has travelled before — after which loop behind the moon and return home.
“People liken this to Apollo 8, but they were much closer,” she said. “This flyby will probably be about 4,000 miles out (from the moon), in order that they’ll be exposed to the background radiation of space and subjected to any solar wind or solar storms.”
Bondar said that distance will give the astronauts a rare vantage point, each scientifically and visually.
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“They’re really on the market in deep space, where we haven’t been before,” she said. “They will be taking a look at the dark moon otherwise and take pictures of the sun in ways we’ve not been in a position to see because human beings haven’t been there.”
The crew has recently passed a brand new milestone of being closer to the moon than to Earth of their deep space journey.
“The Earth is kind of small and the moon is certainly getting greater,” pilot Victor Glover said from space.
Beyond the visuals, the mission can be a test of how the human body responds to space flight over longer distances.
“They appear pretty good actually,” Bondar said of the crew. “They do have these smartwatches on now that will probably be taking a look at features of their physiology, their sleep cycle and a few of the stresses they may face.”
That data will help researchers higher understand prepare astronauts for future missions deeper into space.
Bondar also pointed to well-documented physical changes astronauts experience in orbit, including what’s also known as “bird leg syndrome.”
“Your body removes about two litres of blood volume through the kidneys,” she said. “In space, you don’t need as much, whereas on Earth you would like about five litres because gravity pulls blood into your legs.”
She said Artemis II is an element of a broader effort to refine how humans and technology work together in space.
“They’re trying to have a look at ways of creating these sorts of missions not only smarter, but safer.”
“These early flights are all about trying to know the technology,” she added. “These are really early days and about learning to make things smarter for the subsequent flight, and the subsequent flight.”
The Artemis II crew is anticipated to splash down within the Pacific Ocean following its lunar flyby, marking a key milestone in NASA’s plan to return humans to the moon and eventually travel to Mars.
Live updates could be followed on NASA’s official website, including a stream of the Orion’s journey through space.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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