NASA is about to conduct its first crewed lunar missions in 50 years as part of the Artemis program, but first it has to test the spaceflight hardware supporting the endeavor.
NASA has released three video explainers that describe the upcoming Artemis I mission in simple terms in order to increase the number of people who know about it.
Artemis I will perform an uncrewed flyby of the moon in preparation for Artemis II, which will follow the same path. The first woman and first person of color on the moon could be in 25 years if both missions go well.
The current plan is to launch Artemis I using NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and capsule in a mission that could take place as early as this summer.
At the start of the Artemis I mission, the first stage of the SLS rocket will fall away, as shown in the first animation.
The second video shows that the moon will be pulled towards it by gravity. The DRO is about 40,000 miles above the moon's surface and will be reached by Mission Control at an altitude of 60 miles.
After reaching the target altitude for DRO, a second engine burn will keep the spaceship in its new position.
NASA will have plenty of time to collect data from the craft during its stay in DRO.
A key part of the test mission will be returning the capsule safely to Earth. Mission Control will fire the engines of the Orion to take it out of the DRO and return it to the moon. A second engine burn at an altitude of 60 miles will combine with the moon's gravity to propel the craft on a journey back to Earth.
The pressure on the underside of the vehicle during the descent will be enormous. The heat shield and the parachutes that will deploy shortly before splashdown look set to ensure a safe return.
The Artemis I launch is scheduled for August, and NASA is about to conduct final tests on the SLS rocket.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
