Artemis I, including the SLS booster rocket and Orion spacecraft, is expected to lift off Monday, as early as 8:33 a.m. ET. [Courtesy: NASA]
Key Takeaways:
NASA's Artemis I is a historic, uncrewed test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, marking the first journey to lunar orbit for a human-rated vehicle in nearly 50 years.
The mission's primary goals are to gather critical performance data with scientific mannequins and thoroughly test the Orion spacecraft's capabilities and heat shield in preparation for future crewed missions.
Artemis I is the crucial first step in NASA's broader Artemis program, aiming to return humans to the moon (including the first woman and person of color) by the mid-2020s, establish long-term lunar exploration, and ultimately pave the way for human missions to Mars.
It’s finally happening. After years of planning, designing, building, engineering, and testing, NASA’s Artemis I mission is scheduled to lift off Monday on a historic journey to the moon.
“We are go for launch,” NASA associate administrator Robert Cabana told reporters Monday, following a successful Flight Readiness Review. “This day has been a long time coming.”
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
