NASA’s new space mission Artemis which was supposed to be launched in August this year has been facing recurrent delays. It is not scheduled to launch on 14th November 2022. Artemis I is a part of a larger mission with goals aiming at universal advancements.
The topic of today’s article is the space launch of the Artemis, a series of robotic and human, moon exploration missions, under the supervision of NASA with three partner agencies European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
What is Artemis?
Artemis is a space exploration program set up by NASA. Its first flight, which will take off with a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and an Orion spacecraft, is called Artemis I. The purpose of this mission is to demonstrate NASA’s ability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. Additionally, NASA also aims to develop sustainable living standards on Moon, which will further help them prepare for missions to Mars.
According to the official website of NASA, Artemis I is ready to launch on 14th November 2022.
Originally, the spaceflight was scheduled for August 29th, 2022, but due to some technical issues, it got delayed repeatedly on September 3rd, 2022, and September 20th, 2022.
Main Objectives of the Artemis Mission
NASA does not only want to create sustainable living standards for humans on the Moon but also a place where astronauts can build and test the systems needed for lunar surface missions and exploration to other destinations farther from Earth, such as Mars. Other objectives of the Artemis mission are as follows.
Number One. Technology.
From advanced rockets to spaceships, all kinds of technology built for the Artemis program will also pave the way for future deep-space missions.
Number Two. Partnerships.
The Artemis Program is one of NASA’s first projects, in collaboration with large-scale commercial companies, such as Boeing and SpaceX. This will inspire more organizations to collaborate with NASA in the future.
Number Three. Long-term Presence
Apolo 17, the sixth and final mission in the moon-landing Apollo Program, spent three days on the lunar surface. However, with Artemis, NASA aims to establish a base that can extend moon trips to weeks and possibly months.
Number Four. Resources
Astronauts have already discovered the water and potential deposits of rare minerals on the Moon. With more time to stay on the Moon, NASA claims it can dig deeper into these resources, which will boost scientific and economic exploration.
Here are some interesting facts about the Artemis space launch.
- The Artemis mission will last up to 25 days, 11 hours, and 21 minutes. The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will cover a distance of 1.3 million miles and return to the Earth on the 9th of December 2022, with a speed of 24,500 miles per hour.
- The Space Launch System Rocket, used in the Artemis mission, is the most powerful in the world, designed to send humans to space. It has a height of 322 feet, and a mass of 5.75 million pounds at liftoff. The thrust, a force that moves the rocket through the air and space, of the SLS rocket is 8.8 million pounds at lift-off.
- The Orion Spacecraft, used in the Artemis mission, is an advanced spacecraft with a height of twenty-six feet. Normally, during space missions, conditioned air is pumped into the cabin of a spacecraft to create a comfortable and safe environment for passengers and crew flying at high altitudes. The Orion Spacecraft has a pressurized volume of 690.6 cubic feet per second. It will land on the Moon with a mass of 53,000 pounds and return to Earth with a mass of 18,200 pounds.
Will There be Artemis 2,3, or 4 in the Future?
We know that Artemis 1 is all set to launch on 14th November 2022, but according to an article on rmg.co, Artemis 2 and 3 are also in progress.
- Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight around and beyond the Moon.
- Artemis 2 will launch no earlier than 2024. It will be a crewed flight beyond the Moon, aimed to take humans the farthest they have ever been in space.
In a nutshell, Artemis will open the doors to a new future. NASA claims that if the Artemis mission becomes successful, it will not only let them explore more but also send crewed flights to Mars and other spaces farthest from the Earth.