NASA Successfully Launches historic Artemis I Mission on the SLS

Launch of Artemis I | Credit: NASA

On Wednesday, November 16 at 1:47am ET (6:47 UTC), NASA launched the historic Artemis I mission to the Moon with the Orion spacecraft on the Space Launch System Block 1 rocket from Launch Complex 39 Bravo (LC-39B) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the first flight test of the integrated Orion spacecraft, including the European Service M0dule, and the SLS. With the Artemis program, NASA plans to return humanity to the Moon by the end of the decade, potentially 2025. This is the third launch attempt, with previous attempts on August 29 and September 3. Tnis attempt will use a gentler propellant loading procedure to minimize leaks detected in the 2nd attempt. This was tested in a cryogenic demonstration test in late September, before the vehicle had to shelter in the VAB due to Hurricane Ian. Artemis I is an uncrewed test flight to lunar orbit. Artemis II is planned to be basically a repeat of Artemis I, except shorter, but with crew. Artemis III will be the lunar landing using the Orion spacecraft as the CSM and SpaceX's Starship as the lunar lander (HLS - Human Landing System). In the Artemis I flight, the solid rocket boosters separated about two minutes after launch (unlike during the shuttle program, they will not be reused). Then, at about T+ eight minutes, the core stage separated leaving the upper stage (called the ICPS or Interim Cryogenic Propulsion stage) in an unstable orbit. The ICPS did the perigee raise maneuver raising the vehicle's orbit. At about 90 minutes after launch, the ICPS will execute the Trans Lunar Injection, placing Orion on a trajectory for a lunar flyby. After this, Orion separated from the ICPS and will continue on it's way to the Moon. Orion's Main Engine on the European Service Module will do the outbound lunar flyby burn around a week after launch, taking the spacecraft close to the Moon before entering a Distant Retrograde orbit around the Moon. After approximately one to two weeks in this orbit, Orion will do the Inbound Lunar Flyby burn, once again flying close to the lunar surface before heading on a trajectory that enters Earth's atmosphere. Orion will then splashdown in the Pacific Ocean around 26 days after launch on December 11. You can track the mission in real time here.