The head of NASA's civil space program has officially announced that the Artemis 1 moon rocket will be rolled out on August 18 for a lunar launch.
Destination Moon with Artemis 1
NASA confirmed on August 5 that the Artemis 1 rocket will be moved from the Kennedy Space Center's "Vehicle Assembly Building (1)" to "Launch Complex 39B (2)" on August 18.
(1) What is the "Vehicle Assembly Building"?
Also known as the "VAB", this center was built in the 1960s and was formerly called the "Vertical Assembly Building". It is a massive building located in Florida, USA, used to assemble NASA's largest launch vehicles. It was in this building that the Saturn V rocket and space shuttles were assembled.
(2) What is "Launch Complex 39B"?
This is the second launch pad of Complex 39, also located in Merritt Island, Florida. It has generally been used for launching NASA's crewed space missions since the late 1960s. This site has been redeveloped for use by the agency's "Space Launch System" rocket, which is used as part of the Artemis program and subsequent Moon to Mars missions.
Artemis 1 Launcher
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This will be the first step, expected to begin no earlier than August 29, 2022, before a new crewed journey to the Moon in 2024.
This stage will test the reliability of the "Space Launch System (3)" mega-rocket, more commonly known as "SLS", and the "Orion" spacecraft before the departure with future astronauts to the lunar surface.
(3) What does "Space Launch System" mean?
It is an American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA. Its objective is to send astronauts to the Moon and then from the Moon to Mars.
This project follows more than 10 years of planning, testing, and validation of control and navigation systems.
This will be the first launch for "SLS Artemis 1" and the second for "Orion".
The first flight of the Orion spacecraft took place in 2014. It was an Earth orbit launch.
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The entire Artemis mission has been planned for a 42-day period of in-space testing, if the launch occurs on August 29, as the schedule may change depending on the actual launch date.
This project was initiated by Donald TRUMP, and the ascent and Earth return flight director for the Artemis 1 rocket at "JSC (4)" is Judd Frieling.
(4) What does "JSC" mean?
It is the abbreviation for "Johnson Space Center". This is NASA's center for human spaceflight. At this center, research, training, and control of human spaceflights take place.
At its creation, it was the "Manned Spacecraft Center", but in honor of former US President Lyndon B. Johnson, it changed its name on February 19, 1973.
Artemis 1 mission program
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The trans-lunar orbit insertion of the "Orion" spacecraft
Following the launch of the "Artemis 1" mega-rocket, the "Orion" spacecraft will be placed in trans-lunar orbit approximately 85 minutes after its liftoff.
A trans-lunar orbit is a propulsive maneuver to place a spacecraft on a trajectory that will lead it to the Moon.
Orion Spacecraft
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The goal is for the spacecraft to reach a retrograde lunar orbit where it will remain for several weeks.
To find out how long it takes to reach the moon, I invite you to read our article on this subject: How long does it take to go to the Moon →
For its return to Earth, the spacecraft will benefit from the Moon's gravitational assistance.
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Deployment of CubeSats
While the space station is being orbited, the second stage of the "SLS" will deploy "CubeSats (5)" for various lunar and fundamental research.
(5) What are CubeSats?
These are small satellites with a weight of less than 1.33 kg according to official standards and dimensions of 10 x 10 x 10 cm. CubeSats can be assembled together on one or more columns, which can weigh up to 15 kg in total.
Difference between CubeSats and traditional satellites
Compared to conventional satellites, which are very large and heavy, CubeSats or nano-satellites are small-volume, low-weight secondary payloads that are added to many space launches.
CubeSats
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Main objectives of the Artemis mission
The entire mission team wants to demonstrate reliability and performance in 3 main areas:
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✔︎ Safe atmospheric re-entry
✔︎ In-flight reliability from launch to landing
✔︎ Safety of future occupants upon their return
Artemis Mission
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The media communication program
To promote the mission to the general public and generate excitement for this long journey, selfies will be broadcast across NASA's various media channels, provided transmission rates and deep space distances allow.
Images from space will be sent from a point in space where no crewed spacecraft has ever been, and even further than all the "Apollo" spacecraft combined.
This will be a major event for humanity and crewed spaceflight.
The return of the "Orion" station to Earth
The re-entry into Earth's atmosphere towards the splashdown site will occur at high speed, off the coast of San Diego.
The descent will be into the Pacific Ocean with the help of parachutes, including an orientation maneuver for landing to splash down at the correct angle into the water.
A US Navy ship will then sail to this impact point to recover it from the water.
Analysis of the "SLS" & "Orion" missions
After this mission, analyses will take place over several months to ensure that "SLS" and "Orion" are reliable and ready to transport astronauts to the Moon.
Artemis 1: First step towards crewed flights to the Moon
The next flight with "Artemis 2" will carry a crew during its orbit around the Moon planned for 2024.
The final flight will take place with "Artemis 3" and a lunar landing, no earlier than 2025, with humans, more than 50 years after man walked on the Moon with Apollo 17 in 1972.
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Future missions
You have just discovered the essential points of this formidable Artemis mission, whose goal is to reach the Moon with crewed space travel.
Lunar exploration from Earth is exciting and will be full of twists and turns...
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