The first half-million-mile flight of the Artemis Generation is poised to take off. With the booming launch of NASA's powerful Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, the unmanned Artemis I mission will kick-start humanity's return to the Moon for the first time in 50 years.
To hype the upcoming launch, NASA released a video with the title "Artemis I: We Are Ready."
Turn Dreams Into Reality
"Artemis stands ready. Ready to turn dreams into reality. Ready to return humanity to the Moon and take us further than ever before. The culmination of inspiration and innovation of herculean efforts and steadfast collaboration. Artemis 1 is ready for departure," a narrator Keke Palmer said in the video.
This important test voyage will propel Orion farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever gone, putting new technology and procedures to the test. It will also provide direction for future crew deployments.
Artemis I is prepared to take off, and NASA is prepared to return to the Moon alongside partners from around the world, with an eye toward Mars and beyond.
"Although this first flight will not carry a crew, it will test every system in the deep depths of space to prepare the way for future crewed missions. When the final go is given and the teams at Kennedy Space Center release this rocket, Artemis will roar to life and we will witness the beginning of a tightly choreographed mission," the video added.
NASA planned for the morning of August 29 as the launch window for Artemis 1 opens, with September 2 and 5 as a backup if initial plans are upended.
All About the Artemis Program
Since its inception in 2017, the Artemis program has so far cost around $40 billion. As part of NASA's larger effort to emphasize human space flight, its main objective will be to establish a prolonged presence on the Moon with a space station and a lunar base camp.
It's important to note that Artemis 1 will be carrying three mannequins instead of any passengers. The name Commander Moonikin Campos was chosen by the public for the masculine one, who was used for Orion vibration tests.
He will soar next to two female mannequin torsos made of components that resemble the bones, soft tissues, and organs of an adult female. At the same time, the cartoon character Shaun the Sheep will join the mission as well, representing the European Space Agency (ESA).
Ten CubeSats, or shoebox-sized spacecraft, will also be launched as part of the initiative to map and study the lunar surface's ice pockets. In addition to completing tests on a space radiation barrier, other CubeSats will also be flying to far-off locations.
The Artemis mission will act as a testing ground for innovations created through public-private collaborations. The eventual orbit of the Lunar Gateway is now being scouted by the small spacecraft Capstone, which NASA has already launched in collaboration with Terran Orbital and Rocket Lab.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
