The Artemis mission launched to the moon: NASA launched a giant SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft

On November 16, the lunar mission Artemis 1 ("Artemis-1") was launched from the site of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Within its framework, NASA launched into space the latest Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, developed by Boeing, with the Orion spacecraft. The event was streamed online.

This launch has been repeatedly postponed due to engine problems, fuel leaks and difficult weather conditions. So, just recently, a $4 billion rocket was slightly battered by Hurricane Nicole. The engineers rated the damage as "minor" and decided not to deviate from the mission plan.

The SLS is a gigantic 98-meter rocket capable of launching 95 tons of cargo into orbit. Now she will deliver the Orion spacecraft into outer space, after which it will separate from the carrier and go on a 25-day autonomous flight. He will have to fly around the moon and return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11.

Artemis 1 is an unmanned mission. In the Orion, two female mannequins were placed in the crew seats to assess the effects of radiation and solar flares throughout the flight. One of the dummies is equipped with the latest AstroRad vest, which will be tested in space for the first time.

In addition to the Orion spacecraft, the SLS rocket will deliver several satellites into space for various scientific research.

The ship itself is multi-purpose and partially reusable. It has been developed since the mid-2000s by Lockheed Martin and Airbus Defense and Space to become a replacement for the Space Shuttle and in the future to deliver people to the Moon and Mars.

If the Artemis 1 mission is successful, the next Artemis 2 flight on the Orion spacecraft will take place as early as 2024, and this time there will be a crew of astronauts on board. And already in 2025, NASA plans to launch a manned mission Artemis 3 with landing people on the moon. Possible landing sites chosen.

The last and sixth manned landing on the moon took place as part of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The astronauts stayed on the Earth's satellite for just over three days. During this time, they made three exits from the ship with a total duration of 22 hours 3 minutes 57 seconds.