Artemis I sits on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, waiting to begin her 39-day mission to the moon and back. This critical mission, which was scheduled to launch Aug. 29 but due to engine issues has been postponed until late September, will test boosters and the Orion spacecraft that will eventually carry astronauts through space.
This won’t be the last mission for Artemis. Multiple missions are planned for increasing duration and complexity to test every vital element required to get astronauts back to the lunar surface safely and ultimately create a stable habitat there. Future missions will test the Gateway, the HLS (Human Landing System) and search for a suitable surface habitat.
|
CU medical and aerospace engineering students tend to an injured crewmate during a simulation exercise at the “Medicine in Space” class in southern Utah. |
The Artemis missions are focused on lunar exploration with a long-term goal of launching future crew missions to Mars. One of the challenges of heading back to the moon will be keeping astronauts healthy and making sure they have the appropriate medical supplies and training should an emergency happen when Earth is 238,900 miles away.
Laura Kelley, media relations professional in the CU Anschutz Office of Communications, discusses medical preparations and other Artemis-mission details with Benjamin Easter, MD, MBA, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and deputy element scientist for Exploration Medical Capability at NASA. Joining the discussion is Chris Haas, MD, MPH, a CU School of Medicine graduate and current flight surgeon for NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.