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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Apollo moonshots are a tough act to follow, even after all this time. As four astronauts prepare to embark on humanity’s
first trip to the moon in over half a century, comparisons between Apollo and NASA’s new Artemis program are unavoidable.
The world's first lunar visitors orbited the moon on Apollo 8. The Artemis II crew will play it safe and zip around the moon in an out-and-back slingshot.Another key difference: Artemis reflects more of society, with a woman, person of color, and Canadian participating in the mission.
While Artemis builds on Apollo and pays homage to it, 'there is no way we could be that same mission or ever hope to even be,' said NASA astronaut Christina Koch, part of the Artemis II crew.
Here’s a closer look at Apollo versus Artemis, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, as NASA targets the first six days of April for liftoff.
It took NASA just eight years to progress from its first astronaut in space to landing Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969, successfully meeting President John Kennedy’s end-of-decade deadline.
'The Apollo program still just absolutely blows me away,' said Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.
Artemis has developed at a slower pace, following decades of indecision and shifting priorities between the moon and Mars as future destinations. NASA’s new moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), has only completed one test flight without crew more than three years ago.
This gradual approach prompted NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman to revamp the Artemis program in February. Aiming to emulate Apollo, he added a mission between the upcoming Artemis II mission and the moon landing, which has now shifted to Artemis IV in 2028.
Next year, during the restructured Artemis III mission, astronauts will remain closer to home, similar to Apollo 9 in 1969. Instead of attempting a moon landing as initially planned, they will practice docking their Orion capsule in orbit around Earth with one or both lunar landers under development by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, as both companies race to be the first.
The Soviets were America’s fierce rivals during Apollo, but their moon rockets frequently exploded at liftoff, leading them to abandon their lunar ambitions. Today, the Chinese pose the competition.
China has already landed robotic spacecraft on the moon’s far side, becoming the only nation to achieve that feat, and is working to land astronauts near the lunar south pole by 2030.
NASA aims for the same polar region, where shadowed craters are believed to contain significant amounts of ice that could be used for drinking water and rocket fuel. Like his predecessor Bill Nelson, Isaacman is determined to beat China to this goal and secure victory in this renewed space race.
Apollo’s Saturn V rockets stood 363 feet (110 meters) tall and featured five first-stage engines. The Artemis SLS rocket measures 322 feet (98 meters) but generates more liftoff thrust with its four main engines and two strap-on boosters.
Most Saturn V rockets launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A, which is now leased by SpaceX. NASA will utilize neighboring pad 39-B for all SLS flights. While the Saturn V launched twice before carrying astronauts, the SLS has flown only once. Hydrogen fuel leaks delayed the SLS debut in 2022 and caused further setbacks during a countdown test in February, affecting Artemis II. Helium issues have also contributed to delays, with NASA now targeting an April liftoff.
Launch Control remains at the same location. During Apollo 11’s liftoff, there was one woman present in the packed firing room; now, a woman leads it: Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson.
Apollo 8 is often regarded as one of the most daring space missions. Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became the first humans to travel to the moon in 1968. Borman, the commander, insisted on minimizing lunar orbits due to the associated risks, ultimately deciding on 10 orbits as a warmup for the moonwalk by Armstrong and Aldrin in 1969.
NASA decided long ago against orbiting the moon on Artemis’ crew debut, deeming it too dangerous. The primary goal is to test the Orion capsule’s life-support systems during its inaugural flight.
One notable similarity between Apollo 8 and Artemis II is the challenging times surrounding both missions. 'If we can contribute a little bit to hope for humanity,' said Artemis II pilot Victor Glover of NASA, 'that is a huge thing.'
The Artemis astronauts will orbit Earth for a day to ensure all systems function properly before igniting the main engine to head for the moon. The capsule will take three to four days to reach the moon and continue approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) beyond, surpassing the distance record set by the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
Like Apollo 13, Artemis II will utilize the gravitational forces of the moon and Earth, following a free-return trajectory that requires minimal fuel. This method successfully brought Apollo 13’s astronauts back home, despite their abandonment of the moon landing.
Artemis astronauts will parachute into the Pacific Ocean after their mission, similar to the Apollo crews.
For Apollo, the bulky white spacesuits served dual purposes. The same suits were worn for launch and return as there was insufficient storage for separate outfits.
The Orion capsules for Artemis are larger, designed to accommodate four astronauts instead of three, along with two sets of spacesuits. NASA has developed new spacesuits for use inside the capsule, while private companies are responsible for the moonwalking attire.
Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew will don orange custom-fitted suits for launch and reentry, which will also be used in emergencies. The suits allow astronauts to survive up to six days, equipped with straws for hydration and built-in toilet systems.
Houston-based Axiom Space is creating the white moonwalking suits that will accompany future Artemis crews.
Apollo was primarily focused on outpacing the Russians to the moon and planting the U.S. flag. Astronauts successfully landed six times between 1969 and 1972, with the longest surface stay lasting 75 hours. Five of the 24 Apollo astronauts who traveled to the moon are still alive today.
For the first Artemis moon landing, a pair of astronauts may spend nearly a week on the lunar surface, representing a more complex plan than Apollo.
Artemis moonwalkers will launch to the moon aboard Orion and, once in lunar orbit, transfer to SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon, depending on which is ready first. They will descend to the surface and, after several days, return to orbit to rendezvous with their Orion capsule, which will serve as their return vehicle.
NASA aims for sustainable lunar habitation, with Mars as the next objective, although 'day one of the moon base is not going to look like this glass-enclosed, domed city,' Isaacman remarked. Recently, he presented a blueprint for the moon base that includes habitats, rovers, drones, power stations, and more, with plans for NASA to invest $20 billion over the next seven years.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
