The same week that NASA announced planned dates for the maiden launch of its Mega Moon rocket, the agency released a theatrical trailer (below) to spread the word about the mission.
The highly anticipated Artemis I mission, scheduled to take place as early as August 29, will usher in a new era of manned space exploration, with astronauts returning to the lunar surface after a 50-year absence. NASA’s Artemis program also aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon and use it as a springboard for the first human mission to Mars.
In a nutshell, NASAs Artemis: Launch to the moon The trailer shows the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launching the Orion capsule into space. Artemis I will involve sending the Orion on a moon flyby before bringing the spacecraft home.
“Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, the SLS rocket, and the ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida,” NASA says in the notes accompanying the video. “The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an unmanned flight test that will provide a basis for human space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and ability to extend human existence to the moon and beyond.”
The long-awaited Artemis I mission will take Orion farther than any human-made spacecraft has ever flown, taking the capsule 280,000 miles from Earth and thousands of miles above during a mission that will last up to six weeks will travel out to the moon.
“Orion will stay in space longer than any other astronaut ship without docking with a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever,” NASA said.
If the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft function as expected during the Artemis I mission, Artemis II, currently scheduled for 2024, will fly the same route but with astronauts on board. A successful manned flight will pave the way for Artemis III, possibly in 2025, which will bring the first woman and first colored person to the lunar surface.
And then, as it works to build a habitable base on the lunar surface, NASA will focus more on its boldest manned mission since the first lunar landings five decades ago — an astronaut mission to Mars planned for the late 2030s.
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