Artemis I: Chinese space scientists hail ‘thrilling’ Nasa moon rocket feat 10 years in the making

Astronomers in Beijing offer congratulations to Nasa staff, as senior space scientist applauds return to Apollo era with mega rocket like Saturn V

Astrophysicist in Hong Kong tears up at spectacular launch, calls it an achievement for all humanity, ‘not just Nasa and Uncle Sam’

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The Artemis 1 mission to the moon as seen from Sebastian, Florida. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:45pm, 16 Nov 2022

Scientists in China congratulated US space engineers on the successful launch of Artemis I, the first in a series of Nasa missions aiming to send astronauts back to the moon and eventually build a base there.

The historic launch at 1.47am US Eastern Time on Wednesday saw the 98-metre-high (321 feet) Space Launch System rocket blasting off from Cape Canaveral, in the southern state of Florida, in a spectacular explosion of light and sound.

On board the rocket is the Orion, an uncrewed spacecraft that will be propelled into a wide orbit around the moon.

“Big congratulations to the scientists and engineers who were involved in the development of Artemis I,” said astronomer Zheng Yongchun from the National Astronomical Observatories in Beijing.

Zheng, who watched online like many of his colleagues, called the launch “thrilling” and hailed it as a substantial step towards returning humans to the moon after 50 years.

Nasa’s Project Apollo saw 12 astronauts walk on the moon from 1969 to 1972, following Neil Armstrong’s legendary lunar landing on July 20, 1969.

First outlined by Nasa in 2012, the Artemis I project cost U$4.1 billion to develop. It is the most powerful rocket ever made, featuring 8.8 million pounds (4 million kilograms) of thrust, or 1.3 million pounds more than that of the Saturn V rockets for the Apollo missions.

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