Nasa ‘go for launch’ for planned August 29th Artemis I moon mission
- Artemis I is the first of a series of missions that look to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972
- Goal of August 29 flight is to ensure Orion capsule can support humans in preparation for Artemis II, which will take people to the moon’s orbit
With a week to go before the Artemis I rocket has its first shot at the moon, Nasa managers said the hardware is good to go.
The massive Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher rolled out to Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-B last week ahead of the first launch window that opens at 08:33 next Monday morning.
“We are go for launch,” said Nasa Associate Administrator Bob Cabana after teams completed the flight readiness review Monday. “This day has been a long time coming. … I want to put this in perspective. This is a test flight. It’s not without risk. We have analysed the risk as best we can and we have mitigated as best we can.”
The rocket launch expected to bring between 100,000 and 200,000 spectators to the Space Coast will if successful become the most powerful rocket to ever lift off from Earth. The core stage combined with two solid rocket boosters produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust besting the Saturn V rockets from the Apollo missions to the moon.
Artemis I is the first of a series of missions that look to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. The uncrewed flight will sling Orion off on a planned 42-day mission that will travel more than 1.3 million miles orbiting the moon multiple times before returning to Earth in October for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.