The first test flight of NASA's new megarocket is scheduled to take place next week.
The United States space agency gave the go-ahead on Saturday for the launch of the massive Space Launch System rocket. The liftoff is scheduled for Monday. Pad 39B is located at the Kennedy Space Center.
The mission is the most important for NASA. After more than a decade of development, the SLS rocket is ready to attempt what will be NASA's first launch of a human-rated rocket bound for the moon in over half a century.
NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission has live updates.
NASA's Artemis 1 mission manager told reporters in a launch readiness briefing on Saturday that weather or technical issues can cause delays. We feel good about our setup on Monday.
NASA wants to return astronauts to the moon by the year 2025. As an uncrewed test flight, Artemis 1 will test the SLS rocket's readiness as a heavy-lift vehicle and the ability to carry humans. NASA's most important goal is to test the heat shield, which is the biggest of its kind at over five feet across, to see if it can hold up when it slams into Earth's atmosphere.
The vehicle will be tested in lunar reentry conditions. The rocket needs to do its job in order to set the conditions.
Artemis 1 will be launched on a trip around the moon. The Apollo 13 crew set a distance record in 1971 when they traveled to the moon in less than a week. It takes 10 more days to leave the moon.
On October 10, the craft will come down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Along the way, the mission will deploy 10 tiny cubesats to hunt for water on the moon.
Artemis 1 has to start.
The launch team is not working on any issues at the moment, according to the director.
The SLS rocket is in good shape, with some communications checks still to be done over the next day. The megarocket's fuel is scheduled to start after midnight on Monday.
The Artemis 1 mission could be launched in the current window. There are backup opportunities if it doesn't get off the ground. There is a 70% chance of good weather on Monday, but it's too early to tell if that will be the case on Sept. 2 and beyond.
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