The space agency had initially wanted to launch the test
flight by the end of this year, with astronauts on the ground by 2024 on
Artemis 3, but the timeline has slipped back.
It achieved a major milestone Wednesday when it stacked the
Orion crew capsule atop its Space Launch System megarocket, which now stands
322 feet (98 meters) tall inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy
Space Center in Florida.
After further tests, it will be wheeled out to the launch
pad for a final test known as the "wet dress rehearsal" in January,
with the first window for launch opening in February, officials told reporters
on a call.
"The February launch period opens on the 12th and our
last opportunity in February is on the 27th," said Mike Sarafin, Artemis 1
mission manager.
The next windows are in March and then April.
These potential launch periods are dependent on orbital
mechanics and the relative position of the Earth with respect to its natural
satellite.
The mission duration is expected to be four to six weeks.
It will also deploy a number of small satellites, known as
CubeSats, to perform experiments and technology demonstrations.
Although likely to be pushed back, Artemis 2 is technically
scheduled for 2023 and Artemis 3 for 2024, humanity's return to the Moon for
the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
NASA says the moonwalkers will include the first woman and
first person of colour to make the trip.
The space agency is seeking to establish a sustainable
presence on the Moon, and use the lessons it learns to plan a crewed trip to
Mars in the 2030s.
0 comments:
Post a Comment