NASA is aiming to launch an uncrewed test flight around the moon in February 2022 as a feature of its ambitious mission to indeed land humans on the surface of Earth’s natural satellite in the coming years.
The moon is staying there in the night sky, quietly enticing humankind to return for another visit. It’s been many years, yet not really set in stone to return. In the first place, in any case, the space organization needs to launch a successful Artemis I moon mission, and we currently have a new target for that: February 2022.
There had been some desire for launching Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight around the moon, in the fall of 2021, yet it’s nothing unexpected the launch has been pushed into the next year.
The space agency on Friday reported it got its Orion space spacecraft on top of its Space Launch System rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and is in the final phase of preparations for the upcoming flight known as Artemis I. Together, the capsule and rocket stand 322 feet tall.
NASA just crossed a significant achievement by interfacing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft inside the huge Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “With stacking complete, a series of integrated tests now sit between the mega moon rocket and targeted liftoff for deep space in February 2022,” NASA said in a statement on Friday.
The space agency laid out the many tests that should be finished before launch, including status checks of systems, interfaces and communications. SLS and Orion will likewise go through a simulated launch and a “wet dress rehearsal” that includes loading propellent into the rocket. A more precise launch date will be reported after a successful rehearsal.
NASA engineers are set to lead a series of safety tests on the spacecraft, including a rehearsal where the SLS rocket will be stacked with charge and a propellant and a launch countdown will be simulated. In the event that the January test is successful, NASA said it will set a firm date for the launch in February.
During the mission expected to last for several weeks, Orion will circle the Moon and splash down to Earth in the Pacific Ocean.
“The mission, known as Artemis I, will pave the way for a future flight test with crew before NASA establishes a regular cadence of more complex missions with astronauts on and around the Moon under Artemis,” NASA said in a release.
The Artemis I mission was at first set to launch in November of this current year however was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic and different snags.
Following Artemis I, Artemis II will incorporate a crewed orbit of the Moon and Artemis III will land humans on the surface of the Moon. NASA at first put out a goal of doing as such by 2024, yet many expect that that date should be pushed back.
“The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep-space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the moon and beyond prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II,” NASA said.
The Artemis I launch is full of excitement and promise, a kickoff to another era of lunar exploration. It will likewise be a critical test of what NASA says is the most impressive rocket it’s consistently assembled. It will inform NASA as to whether Orion is alright for astronauts as we inch nearer to the main event: humans on the moon once again.
On the off chance that Artemis III is successful, it’ll be whenever people first step foot on the lunar surface starting around 1972.
