NASA’s Artemis 1 lunar mission successfully lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in cape Canaveral, Florida (US) on November 16.
Key points
- Following a successful launch of Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world, NASA’s uncrewed Orion spacecraft is on its way to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.
- The launch is the first leg of a mission in which Orion is planned to travel approximately 40,000 miles beyond the Moon and return to Earth over the course of 25.5 days.
- Known as Artemis I, the mission is a critical part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, in which the agency explores for the benefit of humanity.
- It’s an important test for the agency before flying astronauts on the Artemis II mission.
- The launch marked the start of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration programme, named after Apollo’s mythological twin sister.
- Although no people were aboard, Orion carried a simulated crew of three mannequins fitted with sensors to measure radiation levels and other stresses that astronauts would experience.
- A top objective is to test the durability of Orion’s heat shield during re-entry as it hits Earth’s atmosphere at 39,400 km per hour — much faster than re-entries from the space station.
- Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone for astronauts on the way to Mars.
