The UK is playing a crucial part in a Nasa-led project that will pave the way for missions to the Moon and Mars, the exploration science manager at the country's space agency said.
Libby Jackson was speaking before Monday's launch of Artemis 1, an uncrewed test flight that will fly around and beyond the Moon.
The Artemis programme will be rolled out in stages, ultimately returning astronauts to the surface of the Moon for the first time in 50 years and paving the way for the eventual human exploration of the Red Planet.
“The horizon goal of exploring Mars has been there since the Apollo missions back in the 1970s and it is a goal that’s always been 30 to 40 years in the future. But the Artemis missions are starting to bring that closer,” said Ms Jackson.
“The robotic missions that we have seen go, including the Hope Mission, the Nasa missions, the European Space Agency missions, all of them are building our knowledge base that we need in order to send explorers to Mars, whether that’s robotic or human.”
The Artemis 1 mission will include the launch of the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which will take the Nasa-built Orion capsule — made with European-built parts, including Orion’s engines — towards the Moon.
The mission aims to test the rocket and the spacecraft’s performance.
And the UK is a key player in the project, said Ms Jackson.
“The main involvement we have is through the Goonhilly Earth Station down in Cornwall. That will be tracking the Orion spacecraft after launch,” she said.
“But then there is the sort of really fun bit that it’s doing, which is, there are a number of Cubesats on board and they are going to be deployed in deep space out towards the Moon.
“And Goonhilly will be relaying the telemetry, providing commands, the services you need to fly a spacecraft.
“They are providing that service to some of those spacecraft. That’s the most direct part we are doing now.
“This is the start of this programme that will return humans to the Moon.”
Although the exploration of Mars is the ultimate aim, the Moon is worth exploring in its own right, added Ms Jackson.
“It’s a record of the solar system that we are a part of. By understanding the Moon, which came from the Earth, we understand the Earth’s past, but it can also help us to better understand and predict the Earth’s future,” she said.
If all goes well with Artemis 1, the project will advance to Artemis 2 and 3.
Artemis 2 will be a crewed flight that will travel beyond the Moon, taking humans farther than they have ever ventured in space before.
And, if all goes to plan, Artemis 3 will bring the first female astronaut and first astronaut of colour on the Moon, where they will spend a week conducting studies of the lunar surface in 2025.
In addition to its work on the Artemis, the UK is preparing for its first ever satellite launch later this year, which will take off from Cornwall.
“It will be the first time we have launched a spacecraft from UK soil,” Ms Jackson said.
“There are a number of space ports in the UK which are getting ready to do this. The UK has a thriving small satellite industry.
“And it will be of great benefit to them to be able to launch from the UK as well. So, we are excited by that launch coming up for Virgin Orbit and the others that will surely follow.”
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
