NASA timed the announcement to coincide with the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. The space agency also gave two alternative launch dates for the Artemis 1:2 mission or September 5.
Artemis 1 will not have astronauts on board. This mission will test NASA’s new giant SLS rocket. This will be the rocket’s first flight. The Orion capsule on top of the SLS will carry the Artemis 2 crew.
The Orion capsule is delivered by spacecraft to the Moon, where it enters orbit and then returns to Earth. According to NASA, the mission may last from 39 to 42 days depending on the time of departure.
The Orion capsule was already tested with a Delta 4 rocket in 2014, when it circled the Earth twice. In the experiment, the heat shield of the capsule was examined.
However, the capsule returning from the Artemis 1 mission will experience a much greater ordeal as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. It will reach a speed of nearly 40,000 km/h and must withstand half the temperature of the sun
Mike Sarafin, NASA’s mission chief, confirmed at the press conference Wednesday.
The Artemis 2 mission is planned for 2024. With astronauts on board, the spacecraft will orbit the moon, but will not land. The mission to land on the moon will be entrusted to the crew of Artemis 3, which could be launched in 2025 at the earliest.
