View source for Astronomy:Artemis Project

{{missing|when the project was abandoned or what its current status is|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox project
| name = Artemis Project
| logo = 
| image =ASITranscraft.jpg
| caption = Lunar Transfer Vehicle en route from the [[Astronomy:Earth|Earth]] to the [[Astronomy:Moon|Moon]]
| mission_statement = 
| commercial = Yes
| type = Private spacecraft venture
| products = A permanent, self-supporting base on the Moon
| location = 
| country = 
| owner = 
| founder = The Lunar Resources Company
| primeminister = 
| key_people =
| established = {{Start date|1994|df=y}} 
| disestablished = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| funding = 
| budget = 
| current_status =
| website = [http://www.asi.org Artemis Society] Official website
}}
The '''Artemis Project'''<ref name="bennett1995" /> was a [[Engineering:Private spaceflight|private spaceflight]] venture to establish a permanent, [[Astronomy:Colonization of the Moon|self-supporting base]] on the [[Astronomy:Moon|Moon]] by 2002.<ref>{{cite web|title=The_Artemis_Project_Frequently_Asked_Questions|url=http://www.islandone.org/Settlements/ArtemisFAQ.html|publisher=islandone.org|accessdate=2008-02-07|archive-date=2008-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513011311/http://www.islandone.org/Settlements/ArtemisFAQ.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was named after [[Religion:Artemis|Artemis]], the goddess of the hunt, in some myths the moon,
and twin sister of [[Unsolved:Apollo|Apollo]] (a reference to the Apollo project). The project's creators, the Lunar Resources Company,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Lunar Resources Company|url=http://www.tlrc.com|publisher=tlrc.com|accessdate=2009-02-07| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090207124525/http://tlrc.com/| archivedate= 7 February 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> formed the Artemis Society as a non-profit NGO in 1994.<ref>{{cite web|title=§ 8.3.7 Artemis Project and the Lunar Resources Company (LRC)|url=http://www.permanent.com/m-artlrc.htm|publisher=permanent.com|accessdate=2008-02-07| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080225063913/http://www.permanent.com/m-artlrc.htm| archivedate= 25 February 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref>  They planned to cover the costs by exploiting the entertainment value in creating a lunar colony.<ref name="bennett1995">Gregory Bennett, "The Artemis Project: Selling the Moon," ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'', January 1995</ref> They also believed that their costs would be a small fraction of what a government agency, such as [[Organization:NASA|NASA]], would have spent.

The project studied other [[Engineering:Space colonization|space colonization]] projects as well, including [[Astronomy:Colonization of the outer Solar System|colonies on outer planet moons]].<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Kokh| first=Peter| author2=Kaehny, Mark| author3=Armstrong, Doug| author4=Burnside, Ken| url=http://asi.org/adb/06/09/03/02/110/europa2-wkshp.html| title=Europa II Workshop Report| journal=Moon Miner's Manifesto| issue=110| date=November 1997| access-date=2016-01-19| archive-date=2019-06-07| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607102248/http://asi.org/adb/06/09/03/02/110/europa2-wkshp.html| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/691006/posts| title=Humans on Europa: A Plan for Colonies on the Icy Moon| work=Space.com| date=6 June 2001| accessdate=19 January 2016}}</ref>

==Overview==
The ''Reference Mission'' was designed to provide enough infrastructure to create a small lunar base.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brief_Overview_of_the_Artemis_Project_Reference_Mission|url=http://www.asi.org/adb/01/03/brief-overview.html|publisher=asi.org|accessdate=2008-02-07| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080313232317/http://www.asi.org/adb/01/03/brief-overview.html| archivedate= 13 March 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> No flight hardware was built.

===Mission hardware===
====Lunar transfer vehicle====

The Lunar transfer Vehicle consisted of a single Spacehab module with communications equipment, Solar panels and an added booster stage. The Lunar Transfer Vehicle would have carried the crew as they travel from the Earth to the Moon. It would have been left in [[Astronomy:Lunar orbit|Lunar orbit]] as the crew descend to the lunar surface.

====Lunar base habitat====
The lunar habitat consisted of three Spacehab modules and a descent stage. It also would have contained other equipment such as solar panels, radiators and communications equipment.

====Ascent stage====
The ascent stage was to have been used by the crew to return to a lunar orbit from the surface of the Moon. Unlike the Lunar Module of the Apollo Program, the ascent stage was not to have maintained a breathable [[Astronomy:Atmosphere|atmosphere]]. Because of this, a protective [[Astronomy:Space suit|space suit]]  would have to be worn throughout the flight to protect the [[Astronaut|astronaut]] from the harsh conditions of [[Space|space]].

=== Mission profile ===
The main mission hardware components would have been assembled in a [[Engineering:Low Earth Orbit|low Earth orbit]]. Then the ''stack'' would have boosted to a lunar orbit. The [[Astronaut|astronaut]]s would have transferred from the lunar transfer vehicle to the ascent stage. After a deorbit and braking burn, the lunar base habitat and the ascent stage would have been landed on the lunar surface. Following this, the crew would have unpacked and set up the new lunar base for future operations. Once the lunar operations were completed, the crew was to transfer to the ascent stage, where they were to enter into a lunar orbit and dock with the lunar transfer vehicle where they would have remained for the journey back to [[Astronomy:Earth|Earth]].

== Future plans ==
Once a base had been built on the Moon it was hoped that a lunar hotel would have been established.<ref>{{cite web|title=Your Vacation on the Moon|url=http://www.asi.org/adb/01/02/moonvac.html|publisher=asi.org|accessdate=2008-02-07| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080216225546/http://www.asi.org/adb/01/02/moonvac.html| archivedate= 16 February 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> However it is not known how economically feasible this would have been because low-cost access to space (possibly involving single-stage-to-orbit or two-stage-to-orbit vehicles) had yet to be developed.

==See also==
*[[Astronomy:Colonization of the Moon|Colonization of the Moon]]
*[[Organization:Moon Society|Moon Society]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{Moon colonization}}
{{The Moon}}

[[Category:Exploration of the Moon]]
[[Category:Private spaceflight companies]]
[[Category:Colonization of the Moon]]

{{Sourceattribution|Artemis Project}}