NASA prepares for Artemis I launch (2) infographic
Graphic shows details of the Artemis I Moon mission.
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SPACE

NASA makes third attempt to launch Artemis I rocket

By Ninian Carter

November 16, 2022 - NASA aims to make a fourth attempt to launch its uncrewed inaugural Artemis mission to the moon, after weeks of technical setbacks and foul weather delayed earlier attempts to send their huge, next-generation rocketship into space.

At 1.04am EST (6.04am GMT) on Nov 16, late technical issues and Florida’s weather gods notwithstanding, Artemis 1, the most powerful rocket ship in history, will attempt launch. The rocket is due to orbit the Moon in a test flight lasting 26-42 days. Here’s how the mission could unfold when it eventually lifts off:

1) Space Launch System (SLS) super heavy-lift launch vehicle blasts off from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, carrying an empty Orion crew module.

2) Solid rocket boosters and core stage separation – ship enters Earth orbit.

3) Ship journeys to Moon (8-14 days), deploying 10 CubeSats along the way.

4) Enters into orbit around Moon (6-19 days).

5) Return flight to Earth (9-19 days).

6) Crew module separation and splashdown in Pacific Ocean.

If successful, Artemis II is scheduled to blast-off in May 2024, with a crew of four astronauts, on a lunar-flyby-return-to-Earth test mission.

Assuming success of Artemis II, Artemis III is set to land two people on the Moon in 2025, and keep them there for a week – making it the the first human moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972 (53 years ago).

Sources
PUBLISHED: 25/09/2022; STORY: Graphic News
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