NASA has started fuelling its largest rocket for a test flight that will place an uncrewed capsule in lunar orbit for the very first time since 1950. Artemis I is expected to last for six weeks.
Mark Ruffalo Addresses When He’ll Retire from the MCU
10 Healthy Breakfast Smoothies Recipes for Weight Loss
NASA started fuelling its new moon rocket on August 29 in preparation for liftoff on a test flight that would place a crew capsule in lunar orbit for the 50th time. Thunderstorms caused fuelling operations to be delayed by one hour. Although the threat of lightning was lessened, the launch team was able to continue loading rocket's tanks. However, it was not clear how much delay the work would cause to reduce the launch window by two hours. (Image: AP)
Kennedy Space Center's 322-foot rocket (98 meters) was empty of people. Three test dummies were instead strapped in to the Orion capsule at Kennedy Space Center for the lunar-orbiting mission. It is expected that it will last six weeks. This rocket is the strongest ever built by NASA and out-muscles the Saturn V which carried astronauts to the Moon half a century ago. Many people gathered along the coast to witness the Space Launch System (or SLS) rocket take off. (Image: AP)
As the launch team loaded more than 1,000,000 gallons super-cold fuel into their rocket, it was pelted with rain. Forecasters were optimistic that the skies would clear by launch time, but the rocket cannot fly through rain. Charlie Blackwell Thompson, the launch director, and her team had to deal with an issue in communication regarding the Orion capsule. (Image: AP)
Engineers struggled to find the cause of an 11-minute delay in communication between Launch Control (Orion) and Launch Control (LC) that occurred late on August 28. NASA had to understand why the problem occurred before it could commit to launch, even though it was resolved by Monday morning. (Image: AP)
Any fuel leakage was also a concern for the launch team. Two countdown tests in the spring revealed that there were other technical problems as well as fuel leaks. NASA officials stated that they cannot be certain about the repairs until the end of the countdown. (Image: AP)
The first flight of NASA's 21st century moon-exploration program, Artemis, was years late. This demonstration alone will cost $4.1 billion. Repeated delays have resulted in billions of dollars in budget overruns. (Image: AP)
If all goes well, astronauts will climb aboard the spacecraft for the second flight. They will fly around the moon and return as soon as 2024. Two-person lunar landings could be possible by 2025. NASA is aiming for the moon's South Pole. (Image: AP)
From 1969 to 1972, 12 astronauts were on the moon during Apollo. Their stays were limited to a few days. NASA plans to build a lunar base during Artemis. Astronauts will rotate in and out for several weeks. Mars is the next step, which could be in the 2030s or 2040s. (Image: AP)