The Artemis 2 program launched on April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to study how well NASA’s system works with astronauts on board before a moon landing mission. It inspired people across the world and also people at Freeport High School, like senior Henry Winter and science teacher Chad Hersey.
“I thought it was surprising how they actually sling-shotted around the earth and the backside of the moon to save fuel and use gravity for it,” Winter said.
“I thought it was really interesting,” Hersey said. “I like everything they’re doing… the most interesting thing was when the toilet broke on day one.”
The Artemis program is to return humans to the Moon, test new deep-space technology, and prepare for future missions to Mars, according to NASA. The mission includes a series of flights where Artemis 2 will send astronauts around the Moon, and Artemis 3 aims to land them near the lunar south pole to study water ice and explore the surface.
Some people argued that the cost of launching is too expensive since it cost $4.1 billion to launch.
“I think it’s definitely worth the cost, science is something that has a better human life more than a facet of life, and we can’t even imagine what might be discovered from these missions,” Winter said.
“It could, but it would cost a lot of money to figure out that question. When it comes to spending tax dollars, it really is a trade-off, but I do find it incredibly interesting, and I also appreciate how other people think it’s not worth the cost,” Hersey said.