Artemis 1 is the first mission of the Artemis Program. It will be an uncrewed mission to test the performance and limits of the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft. NASA will launch the orion spacecraft to the moon on the Space Launch System (SLS) - the most powerful rocket ever built. Here are 5 things to boost your excitements and expectations for the Artemis 1 mission.
1. Shaun the Sheep doll has been given a seat on the Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft for a ride to the moon. He will be equipped with sensors to determine how vibrations and radiation will affect a person's body.
2. Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft will deploy 10 tiny satellites (cubesats) around the moon to examine its atmosphere and surface near the potential landing sites for the future manned missions.
3. The Artemis 1 mission launch date and time is scheduled on 29 August at 8:33 am EDT (12:33 GMT) but it can be delayed under unexpected circumstances. Only three dates are ideal for the launch of Artemis 1 SLS Rocket, according to NASA. If the launch gets suspended on 29th August then the remaining dates are 2 september or 5 september.
4. The Artemis 1 mission duration will last for around 40 days.
- one week for the journey to the moon.
- one month of its stay around the moon and its return to Earth.
5. NASA will publish a Artemis 1 tracking website before the launch. Anyone will be able to access the site to track the orion spacecraft's precise location in real-time.
Some Artemis 1 Fun Facts -
1. The SLS rocket is never launched to the space before.
2. Amazon's Alexa will ride to the moon on board the Orion Spacecraft.
3. The Artemis SLS rocket (320 feet) is little shorter than the Apollo Saturn V rocket (360 feet).
4. Artemis 1 will take off from pad 39B - the same pad used to launch the Apollo 10 astronauts.