Space & Astronomy

Artemis I will be heading to the Moon next week

By T.K. Randall
August 25, 2022

Image: Space Launch System Artist Concept
Credit: NASA Following several delays due to technical issues, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft are now standing by at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida for the first step in sending humans back to the Moon five decades after the end of the Apollo program.

Artemis I won't be carrying any passengers, but it will serve as a test run for future manned missions.

As things stand, the launch is scheduled to take place on August 29th sometime during a two-hour window which begins at 08:33 EST (13:33 BST).While it won't be landing on the Moon, Artemis I will be going into orbit around it and will spend several weeks in space to make sure every part of the spacecraft is tested to the max.

If everything goes to plan, the first crewed mission will launch in 2024.

Then, in 2025, an actual attempt to land humans on the lunar surface will be made.

Suffice to say, things are about to get very interesting.


Source: Sky at Night Magazine

Tags: Artemis, Moon