Artemis I: NASA's New Project Successfully Ascends Toward Orbit

NASA has finally lifted the Space Launch System (SLS) into orbit for the long-delayed crewless Artemis I mission. The 322-foot-long (98 m) rocket fired its engines. It flew at 01:47 a.m. ET (0647 UTC) on Wednesday, November 16, delivering up to 9.5 million pounds (4.1 million kilograms) of thrust. It ushers in a new era of space exploration from launch pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During Artemis 1, NASA's SLS will send Orion's spacecraft on a journey 40,000 miles beyond the Moon before returning to Earth. NASA's Artemis I launch was originally scheduled to begin on Monday, August 29. However, this launch attempt was canceled due to problems with the SLS's No. 3 RS-25 engine during tank operations. Another scrub caused by hurricane weather and delays pushed the launch back until today.

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First Step Back to the Moon

This is the first mission in NASA's Artemis program, designed to send the first astronauts back to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. This mission, Artemis III, will send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface. It is currently scheduled for a 2025 launch date, but that largely depends on the outcome of today's mission. The primary goal of Artemis I, according to NASA, is to rigorously test integrated missions "by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion's heat shield, and recovering the crew module after re-entry, descent and landing." Minutes before the launch, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, who made history as NASA's first female launch director, addressed her team in mission control.

A few minutes later, the Space Launch System core stage main engine shutdown was completed and the core stage separated from the intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage and the Orion spacecraft. About 18 minutes after launch, Orion's solar arrays were deployed, finally allowing the spacecraft to self-power. Initial data showed that the arrays were drawing power with good performance.