Artemis I and NASA’s Next Step to the Moon
Artemis I will be launching to the moon on Aug. 29 at 8:33 a.m. EDT (1233 GMT). Here is the mission and its giant leap to the moon.
NASA’s next step towards returning humans to the moon is just around the corner! Artemis I, the first mission in NASA’s Artemis program of lunar exploration, is scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 39B on August 29th at 8:33 a.m. EDT (1233 GMT).
The Artemis I mission will be the debut and first operational test of the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s latest super heavy lift rocket. SLS will provide an impressive amount of payload capacity — more than 30 metric tons — for deep space exploration into the solar system and beyond. This capability has been unmatched since the days of Apollo when the Saturn V first launched astronauts to the Moon nearly four decades ago.
Aside from testing the SLS rocket, the mission will also test out the Orion spacecraft — NASA’s next generation of space craft designed to take astronauts deeper into space than ever before. The Orion spacecraft will be outfitted with critical sensors and systems that will be necessary to sustain flights to the moon with astronauts onboard and will gather information of the deep space radiation environment.
The Flight Ahead
Note: timeline dates are given assuming a 29 August 2022 launch.
Phase I: Launch
The six week mission will be stress test of the SLS and Orion systems to demonstrate their readiness for future Artemis missions that will carry people to the moon. The Artemis I mission will begin with its liftoff on August 29th at 8:33 a.m. EDT (1233 GMT). After about 126 seconds, the powerful side-mounted solid rocket boosters will separate from the core stage. These boosters provide 3.6 million pounds (16,000 kN) of thrust, each, and account for about 80% of the total SLS liftoff thrust. The core stage continues on for an eight minute burn using the first stage engines powered by four Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME).
Phase II: Trans-Lunar Injection
After Main Engine Cut Off (MECO), the upper stage, known as the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), will separate and continue its burn with the Orion capsule until it reaches its destined orbit. After its fiery ascent into space, Orion, still attached to the ICPS will deploy two solar arrays and power them on for the first time. The spacecraft will go through a series of tests to check for any issues that may arise along the journey to the moon while the ICPS sets itself up for the kick to the moon. If all goes well, the ICPS will perform a Trans Lunar Injection maneuver and separate from Orion capsule.
Phase III: Journey to the Moon
From here, the ICPS and Orion will continue on separate missions. The ICPS will deploy a set of ten CubeSats before its disposal into solar orbit. These CubeSats will perform various science missions supporting space exploration, human factors, and future Artemis missions. Orion will remain on course out to the moon performing a series of correction burns to bring it within 60 miles (96 kilometers) of the lunar surface on sixth day of the journey (September 3). After about 10 days (September 7), the Orion capsule will perform its Lunar Orbit Insertion burn to enter the orbit of the moon in a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO).
Surpassing the distance record of even the Apollo missions, the DRO orbit will provide a excellent deep space testing environment of the Orion systems as they operate in this manner together for the first time. After about sixteen days in orbit around the moon, the Orion capsule will perform a DRO Departure maneuver which will bring it to a distance of approximately 125 miles (200 km) above the lunar surface and slingshot it off towards Earth.
Phase IV: The Triumphant Return
After leaving Lunar orbit, Orion’s journey and the Artemis mission is not done yet. Orion will have another week long transit time back to Earth where it will detach from its European Service Module (the propulsion and power element) before meeting the “Entry Interface.” The entry interface is where the atmosphere begins to become very thin relative to the vacuum of space (called the “Transition Zone”). Just before this point, the spacecraft will be traveling at about 25,000 mph (40,000 km/h) at an altitude of about 160 miles (260 km). Due to Orion’s speed, Atmospheric particles cannot get out of its way and they will be compressed, super heated, and become plasma. Orion and its thermal protection systems will experience temperatures over 4500 degrees Fahrenheit (2200 degrees Celsius) as Orion slams back into the atmosphere. The entire process takes about 4 minutes during which time the parachute is deployed. Once the craft has landed in the ocean off the coast of southern California, a team of recovery specialists will be there to recover the spacecraft and return it to shore for refurbishment and testing. This is expected to take place 42 days after launch on October 10th.
Of course, the mission doesn’t really end there. NASA and its team of engineers will spend the next months and even year analyzing data from this mission in order to learn everything they can about how the Orion spacecraft performs in space.
Artemis I and the Future of Space Exploration
The SLS rocket and the Orion capsule will pave the way for subsequent lunar missions. Together, these critical pieces of hardware will be invaluable for future human missions back to the Moon and onward to Mars and other deep space destinations.
Overall, Orion’s journey will last approximately 42 days as it travels to the moon, enters orbit around it and returns to Earth — traveling a total of 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers) before finally splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on October 10. The important Artemis I mission will validate the SLS and Orion capsule systems and serve a similar function as the early Apollo 4 and Apollo 6 missions. These three missions tested out the systems and equipment that were to be used in later missions to the Moon and helped set the groundwork for those historic journeys.
As of now, all eyes are set for August 29th. The SLS rocket remains ready at LC-39A and has recently passed its Flight Readiness Review, the final checkpoint to declare “all systems go.” If for whatever reason the Artemis I mission cannot liftoff on August 29th, such as for weather, NASA has backup dates for launch on September 2nd and September 5th. As of right now, we will have to wait until August 29th to find out if the flight can go forward as planned!
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