NASA recently confirmed its Artemis I mega-rocket could embark on its mission to space on August 29, September 2, or September 5, depending on the conditions. Now, NASA released an official rocket launch teaser video giving us a glimpse of what to expect.
The Artemis I and Orion spacecraft were built to travel farther than any craft with a human inside, reaching distances more than 280,000 miles away from Earth. Then, the goal is to put a man and woman on the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
This initial uncrewed mission will send Artemis I beyond the moon, then return to Earth at speeds and heats higher than any other capsule. The first launch window opens at 8:33 a.m. ET on August 29 and will stay open for two hours. If Artemis I launches on the 29th, the mission would last 42 days and return to Earth on October 10.
It’s an exciting time for NASA, which is why it just released the official launch video shown above. This mission is a big part of testing the new Orion capsule and heat shield. According to Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, Orion will travel at speeds over 24,500 miles per hour, reach temperatures half as hot as the sun, and hopefully return safely to Earth.
“Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida,” according to a note from NASA in the video.
If all goes well, this new platform will do a second crewed Artemis II mission, then return NASA astronauts to the moon’s surface sometime in 2025 with the Artemis III mission. Then eventually, NASA aims to create a sustainable space for humans on the moon and one day use the location as a stopping point for the first crewed mission to Mars.
But, before all that can happen, the first Artemis I needs a successful launch in the coming weeks.
via Digital Trends
