The Artemis 1 mission, the first stage of the planned return of the United States to the Moon, will leave its launch pad this Monday, August 29, 2022 from the Kennedy Space Center. Here’s how to follow the takeoff from 2:33 p.m. (French time) on YouTube.
Eight minutes of potential happiness await the curious. NASA will carry out the first preparatory flight for the return of American astronauts to our natural satellite with the Artemis 1 mission, from the Kennedy Space Center. Even Thomas Pesquet, the tricolor star astronaut, tweeted asking team managers for a little leniency: “My apologies to the heads of all those who go to watch at work”he quipped.
If you are not lucky enough to be among the 100 to 200,000 spectators expected around the Kennedy Space Center to witness the launch of the rocket in person from launch pad 39B, there is still the Internet. This Monday, August 29, 2022, NASA will broadcast the event live, from 12:30 p.m. (French time), on its YouTube channel (link below). We will have to wait a little longer since the launch window will not open until 2:33 p.m. Don’t forget to set an alarm on your phone!
What is Artemis 1?
Do not expect all the same to admire images of astronauts hopping on the Moon in a few days. The Artemis 1 mission is indeed uncrewed and will be used to assess the conditions of a flight with humans on board. If everything goes as planned, the Artemis 2 mission, scheduled for 2024, should place astronauts in lunar orbit before a moon landing assigned to the Artemis 3 mission. Artemis 1 will thus make it possible to qualify the SLS (Space Launch System) launcher of 98 m in height, as well as the Orion capsule placed at its top. This mission will last 42 days.