NASA is launching the first mission of its ambitious Artemis program on Monday August 29, 2022. In the long term, the agency is aiming for the return of humans to the Moon. The first flight is a test with an unmanned capsule.
It’s the big day for NASA: that of the takeoff of the first mission of the Artemis program, thanks to which the agency wants to send humans back to the Moon. For this first launch, there is no crew on board (apart from a stuffed animal bearing the image of Snoopy): this is a test, aimed at preparing future manned flights, which must resume from of the Artemis II mission.
This is nonetheless a decisive step for NASA, 50 years after the last lunar mission of the Apollo program. Do not miss it, because the rest of the program depends on it. Each stage of this long 6-week mission will therefore be closely monitored.
Watch the launch of Artemis I to the Moon live
The launch of the rocket, which is the first stage of the Artemis I mission, can be followed online and live.
- When ? Monday, August 29, 2022, from 12:30 p.m. French time.
- Where ? On NASA’s YouTube channel, or directly in the video embedded below.
- What ? Launch of the Artemis I mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, heading for the Moon.
What to expect during this takeoff?
When the Nasa live event begins, don’t expect to see liftoff happen right away. The launch of the rocket, called Space Launch System (SLS), with the unmanned Orion space capsule on board, will only happen later. The shooting window opens from 2:33 p.m., for a duration of 2 hours. This therefore means that the Artemis I mission can be launched at any time, within this time interval (during which the conditions for a successful mission are ideal).
When NASA decides it’s the right time, everything should go very quickly. In just 2.5 minutes, the SLS will have left its launch pad, Launch Complex 39-Pad B, far behind and will be gaining momentum. During the next 6 minutes, the rocket will continue to gain altitude and accelerate. Then, the next important step will be to correctly launch Orion on its trajectory towards the Moon.
It will then take several days for the Orion spacecraft to reach the Earth’s natural satellite, around which the capsule will fit into orbit. Time to do a few laps, it will already be time to go back to Earth. The entry of the capsule into the Earth’s atmosphere will serve to slow down Orion, which will end its race by deploying its parachutes. The landing should be smooth in the Pacific Ocean.
If all goes like this, NASA will have succeeded in the Artemis I mission. The way to manned exploration of the Moon will be reopened.