NASA’s ambitious, expensive and complex moon rocket, Artemis I, has had a rough run. NASA had to clean up the first launch attempt due to a troublesome engine issue. On the second attempt, a troublesome hydrogen leak kept the rocket grounded until repairs could be made. After tests on September 21 cleared Artemis for a third attempt, NASA scientists sought September 27 for launch. But that too was overturned when a tropical storm bore down on the Florida coast.
Needless to say, it’s been a bumpy road for Artemis.
NASA currently has a backup launch day of Oct. 2, but with Tropical Storm Ian forecast to become the fifth major hurricane of the 2022 season, there’s also no guarantee it will reach the date NASA may even push the rocket back from the launch pad to keep it safe. Ian is expected to touch down in the US on Thursday, just days before that release window opens.
“So when is this bloody thing going to be released?” you might be wondering. Well, that’s not clear at the moment, but whatever happens, you’ll want to follow along live to see how the saga unfolds. And when that day comes, CNET will have all the details (and host a live stream!) right here.
To be clear, this mission will not have astronauts on board, but there are many reasons for its success, including the prospect of landing people on the moon in the near future. (That’s slated for 2025.) Come launch day, Artemis I’s 32-story rocket will lift off from Earth and propel a relatively small, pointy white spacecraft called Orion into lunar orbit.
Orion is packed with things like Amazon Alexa, the TV character Shaun the Sheep, mannequins, miniature satellites, and most importantly, tons of navigation and data collection equipment. These special instruments inside Orion will track vital information about the spacecraft’s trajectory, safety, radiation absorption (and more) that will essentially chart the paths of future missions — manned missions like Artemis II and Artemis III of 2025. Think of Artemis I as a crucial flight test and proof-of-principle mission.
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A flawless launch could mark the beginning of NASA’s modern years of lunar exploration. It’s going to be a tense day with a nail-biting countdown, especially given the initial dead-end pitching attempts, but also surrounded by an air of wonder and excitement. In other words, it will be huge.
The “We Are Going” banner, seen near the Artemis I rocket on the launch pad, is signed by NASA workers involved in the Moon mission.
Joel Kowsky/NASA
How to watch the Artemis I launch
Once NASA officially announces the next launch window for the Artemis I mission, you’ll be able to tune in directly on the NASA app, the NASA website, or NASA TV. We will publish the start time of the future window for the following global time zones.
- brazil
- UK.
- South Africa.
- Russia
- United Arab Emirates.
- India
- china
- Japan
- Australia
You’ll also find all the action live on CNET Highlights, our YouTube channel, simply by clicking Play below.
Artemis I launch sequence
If you’re interested in the technical details, here’s the Artemis I game plan.
In a way, taking off is the easy part. And I’m not exaggerating.
The SLS team is first.
After the countdown, the SLS will ascend through Earth’s atmosphere. In two minutes, all of its solid propellant, located in the rocket boosters, will be consumed and those boosters will be jettisoned. After 8 minutes, all of its liquid fuel, located in the core stage, will be used and this stage will be jettisoned. Then, for about 18 minutes, Orion and the rocket’s upper stage will circle our planet alone. Once complete, Orion will take about 12 minutes to deploy its solar arrays and turn off the battery.
At that point, as Sarafin says, the rocket has done its job. Orion is on his way.
A diagram showing what Artemis I’s ascension will look like.
NASA; screenshot by Monisha Ravisetti/CNET
Team Orion steps up to the plate.
“There’s really no time to catch your breath,” Rick LaBrode, Artemis I’s flight director, said during an Aug. 5 press conference. Orion’s trajectory is pretty much based on a multitude of precise maneuvers that will take it along the complex path described below.
Orion’s path around the moon and back is described here. Along the way, 10 cubesats will be deployed.
NASA; screenshot by Monisha Ravisetti/CNET
Eventually, the craft will approach the lunar surface, coming within just 60 miles of the ground, and will conduct a bunch of science experiments to test things like lunar gravity, the danger of radiation, and maybe even do some photos like a recreation of Earthrise from 1968. Satellites inside Orion will deploy along the way, capture some physics data, and when all is said and done, the brave little spacecraft will return to our planet and splash on the coast of San Diego.
Grab Orion, extract the data, and Artemis I is complete. All of this is expected to take six weeks.
If NASA manages to avoid any mistakes along the way, it won’t be long before we find ourselves scouring the internet for information on how to watch the launch of Artemis II. And in the future, we may ponder on Monday as we sit back and stare down a rocket barrel not only to the Moon, but also to Mars.
OK, I’m getting ahead of myself.
For now, the goal is a flawless liftoff for Artemis I, which seems to be getting harder every day.