Artemis 1 Final Countdown Live!

[6Foot2]

[6Foot2]

Link: Artemis launch – live: Nasa scrambles to fix Moon rocket issues to avoid lift-off delay | The Independent

 

The launch Nasa’s Artemis 1 mission scheduled for Monday morning has been scrubbed due to issues with one of the Moon rocket’s engines.

 

Lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida was set for 08.33 local time (13.33 BST) on Monday, 29 August. The next launch window for Artemis I opens 2 September.

 

Weather conditions were favourable for launch Monday, despite some concerning lightning strikes over the weekend, and weather was not a direct cause for the scrub.

 

Artemis 1 is the first flight for Nasa’s fiant [sic] Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule, serving as a crucial test for making sure all the related systems function properly in space ahead of the first humans climbing aboard Artemis 2 in 2023...

[6Foot2]

 

Watch live as our mega Moon rocket launches an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a six-week mission around the Moon and back to Earth. NASA is targeting Wednesday, Nov. 16, for the launch of the Artemis I Moon mission during a two-hour launch window that opens at 1:04 a.m. EST (0604 UTC). During #Artemis I, Orion will lift off aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and travel 280,000 miles (450,000 km) from Earth and 40,000 miles (64,000 km) beyond the far side of the Moon, carrying science and technology payloads to expand our understanding of lunar science, technology developments, and deep space radiation.

 

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars. We are going.

 

Countdown (at the time of posting) -37 minutes [Estimated launch: 5:30 am UK time]

 

Edit: The countdown has been held at -10 minutes due to a leak in the one of the stages of the rocket. The expected delay is currently estimated at around 30 minutes.

 

Edit 2: Countdown restarted. Now at -5 minutes.

 

Edit 3: Lift off.

Edited November 16, 2022 by 6Foot2

[jthompson]

It worked! That's a big rocket.

[6Foot2]

It worked! That's a big rocket.

 

Commentary just after launch:

 

... Space Launch System arcing through the East from Kennedy Space Centre...

 

... 8.8 million pounds of ground shaking thrust...

 

... We are hearing a BIG rumble here at the press site about 4 miles from the pad...

[6Foot2]

Link: NASA: Track Artemis I

 

[jthompson]

Have they done the TLI burn yet? It looks like it from the telemetry but I wouldn't have expected that so soon after launch.

[6Foot2]

Have they done the TLI burn yet? It looks like it from the telemetry but I wouldn't have expected that so soon after launch.

 

Link: Orion on Its Way to the Moon – Artemis

 

The interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) completed its approximately 18-minute trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn and the spacecraft has separated from the stage. Orion fired its auxiliary thrusters to move a safe distance away from the expended stage and the spacecraft is on its way to the Moon.

[6Foot2]

 

[6Foot2]

Link: Goonhilly Earth Station: Commercial Satellite Communications

 

Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd in Cornwall, UK, will provide communications support for NASA’s Artemis 1 Mission, due to launch on 29th August, 2022. The site will track the uncrewed Orion capsule and, alongside partner ESA, communicate with a number of small satellites being launched on the mission.

 

Goonhilly is the world’s only commercial deep space ground station. In 1969 the site was responsible for distributing live satellite feeds of the Apollo Moon landing to people around the world. Now, as organisations across the globe embark on a new dawn of lunar and deep space exploration, Goonhilly is positioned to provide tracking and communication support for key lunar and deep space missions; partnering with both private companies and space agencies.

 

Over the past year, Goonhilly has supported ESA’s Mars Express, Gaia and Integral missions, communicating with the satellites in deep space as they complete their scientific objectives. Now, the site is strengthening the UK’s position as an international space power through its contributions to NASA’s pioneering Artemis programme.

 

The first in a series of missions, Artemis 1 will send an uncrewed Orion capsule in orbit around the Moon and back to test systems and procedures ahead of a crewed flight in 2024.

 

Goonhilly will track the capsule, demonstrating their ability to support future, crewed NASA missions to the Moon and beyond. Their GHY-6 deep space antenna will receive radio signals from the spacecraft, which will travel up to 448,000 km away from Earth over a 6-week period.

 

Sue Horne, Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency said:

 

“Witnessing the first launch of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket is a landmark moment for the global space community, as we prepare to return humans to the Moon. The rocket will place the Orion spacecraft in orbit around the Moon, which we will be able to track in the UK from Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall. The operational support work that our colleagues are doing in Goonhilly demonstrates a significant step forward for our capacity to offer commercial lunar communications from the UK. The Artemis programme marks the next chapter of human space exploration, and we look forward to continued involvement as it comes to life.”

 

A secondary payload of 10 CubeSats will also be deployed to undertake science and technology investigations in order to enhance our understanding of the deep space environment in preparation for humanity’s return. Some hours after the launch, a trans-lunar injection burn will propel the Orion capsule and CubeSats towards the Moon. The small satellites will then be deployed in different directions to begin their separate missions.

 

Goonhilly is due to track up to 6 of the CubeSats: ArgoMoon, BioSentinel, CuSP, Lunar HMAP, Lunar IceCube & NEA Scout. They will work alongside Estrack (ESA’s network of ground stations) to command, track and download data from the small satellites.

 

“Our Estrack stations will be critical in determining the CubeSat trajectories, returning their data home and supporting the commanding of the six spacecraft,” explains Lucy Santana, responsible for ESA ground facility services for deep space missions, “we’re very proud to do our bit in returning humankind to the Moon.”

 

Ian Jones (CEO at Goonhilly Earth Station):

 

“Being asked to participate in this landmark NASA mission as one of the key ground stations is an immense privilege for all of us at Goonhilly. Both NASA and ESA are moving towards a commercial model for lunar communications and Goonhilly is the world’s only facility that is set up, qualified and ready to provide this service. Our team has worked tremendously hard over the last several years to get us to this position. Our experienced operators have been working closely with the various lunar missions that will be carried onboard Artemis 1. As well as the excitement of returning humans to the moon, this new chapter demonstrates the validity of the commercial business model developed at Goonhilly.” ...

[6Foot2]

Link: Artemis I | Flickr [NASA Album: 8 photos and 4 videos at the time of posting]

 

 

On the second day of the 25.5-day Artemis I mission, Orion used its optical navigation camera to snap black and white photos of planet Earth. Orion uses the optical navigation camera to capture imagery of the Earth and the Moon at different phases and distances, providing an enhanced body of data to certify its effectiveness as a method for determining its position in space for future missions under differing lighting conditions.

[6Foot2]

Link: Nasa's Artemis spacecraft arrives at the Moon - BBC News

 

 

Nasa's Artemis spacecraft has arrived at the Moon.

 

The Orion capsule swept 130km (80 miles) above the lunar surface, and it will now begin to enter a larger orbit.

 

The vehicle was out of contact for 34 minutes during this manoeuvre, which began at 12:44 GMT, as it took place on the far side of the Moon.

 

As the signal returned, the spacecraft sent back an image of the Earth. Nasa says so far the mission has "exceeded expectations" since last week's launch.

 

Nasa flight director Zebulon Scoville said: "This is one of those days that you've been thinking about and dreaming about for a long, long time.

 

"This morning we just saw the Earth set behind the Moon as we take the next human rated vehicle around the moon, preparing to bring humans back there within a few years. This is a game changer."

 

The spacecraft zoomed over the landing sites of Apollo 11, 12 and 14 as it made the close approach.

 

The Artemis mission began on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the launch of the most powerful rocket Nasa has ever built.

 

It placed Orion on a path towards the Moon. The capsule has already sent back several selfies during its journey.

 

Because this is a test flight, no astronauts are on board this time - instead three manikins, covered in thousands of sensors, are making the journey.

 

"Those sensors are getting an idea of whether the environment is going to be OK for people," explained Nasa astronaut Zena Cardman.

 

"So there are things like radiation sensors, motion sensors, accelerometers - things that we as human payloads are going to care a lot about."

 

And this is important because if this flight goes well astronauts will join the next ride, first of all going into orbit around the Moon, before a third Artemis mission then takes the first woman and first person of colour down to the lunar surface.

 

The European Space Agency is also carefully monitoring the spacecraft. It's built Orion's service module, which provides the power and propulsion for the voyage.

 

Esa also has a passenger on board: Shaun the Sheep, the British stop-motion animated character. Shaun is strapped in for the journey. Nasa's mascot is Snoopy, who is floating free in the cockpit of the crew capsule.

 

After this close flyby, Orion will now swing much further out as it begins to loop around the Moon.

 

On 26 November, it is set to break Apollo 13's distance record when it reaches 400,171km (248,655 miles) from Earth.

 

Two days later, it will have travelled more than 430,000km (270,000 miles) from our planet - the furthest a spacecraft built for humans has ever flown.

 

After this, the capsule will begin its journey home, back towards the Moon and then on to Earth with a scheduled splash down in the Pacific Ocean on 11 December.

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by 6Foot2
To add the NASA Artemis close flyby of the Moon video.

[6Foot2]

Link: Snoopy Hitches Ride to Space Aboard Artemis I | NASA

 

 

Snoopy, the zero-gravity indicator for NASA’s Artemis I flight test, floats in space on Nov. 20, 2022, while attached to his tether in the Orion spacecraft. In this enhanced image, Snoopy stands out in a custom orange spacesuit, while Orion's interior has been shaded black and white for contrast. The character's spacesuit is modeled after the suit astronauts will wear during launch and reentry in Orion on future missions to the Moon. NASA has shared an association with Charles M. Schulz and Snoopy since the Apollo missions and the relationship continues under Artemis. Snoopy was selected as the zero-gravity indicator for the flight because of the inspiration and excitement the character has provided for human spaceflight for more than 50 years.

[6Foot2]

Link:

[Orion Spacecraft Picture Tweet]

 

Flight day 9. The Moon and the Earth seen from solar wing cameras on Orion's @ESA service module. Watch live views from Orion at https://go.nasa.gov/artemislive

 

 

[Andrew_C]

Commentary just after launch:

... We are hearing a BIG rumble here at the press site about 4 miles from the pad...

Having watched a Saturn 1b launch from within Canaveral, I can well imagine the sound. The closest thing I've heard since is a Vulcan taking off at Farnborough; but that was A LOT closer!

 

Your chest vibrates, and the ground does shake.

 

Sorry about the quality - my father let the slides gather dust, and fade rather badly.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by Andrew_C

[6Foot2]

 

The Earth and Moon in shot either side of a solar panel from the live stream a few minutes ago.

[jthompson]

I know it hasn't and that it's just in a high orbit, but that picture gives an impression of it having missed and gone sailing by.

[6Foot2]

Link:

[Orion Spacecraft Picture Tweet]

 

Mission Time: 12 days, 14 hrs, 9 min Orion is 268,553 miles from Earth - the farthest from home it will travel in this journey, 43,051 miles from the Moon, cruising at 1,674 miles per hour.

 

 

* Tweet date and time: 28^th of November 2022 at 8:57 pm.

[6Foot2]

 

Orion's cameras give us amazing views of its adventure around the Moon. See up close views of the Moon from Orion's external cameras as well as the view from inside the capsule.

 

Orion is the vehicle that will take astronauts on Artemis missions. It’s the only spacecraft capable of human deep space flight and high-speed return to Earth from the vicinity of the Moon. More than just a crew module, Orion has a launch abort system to keep astronauts safe if an emergency happens during launch, and a European-built service module, which is the powerhouse that fuels and propels Orion and keeps astronauts alive with water, oxygen, power, and temperature control...

[6Foot2]

 

On Dec. 5, NASA will air the lunar flyby of the Orion spacecraft on its return trek toward Earth. Orion completed a burn Dec. 1 to exit a lunar orbit thousands of miles beyond the Moon, where engineers have been testing systems to improve understanding of the spacecraft before future missions with astronauts. The return powered flyby burn, in which the spacecraft will harness the Moon’s gravity and accelerate back toward Earth, is expected at 11:43 a.m. (1643 UTC) The spacecraft is expected to fly about 79 miles above the lunar surface at 11:42 a.m. (16:42 UTC) just before the burn.

 

Orion launched aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at 1:47 am EST (0647 UTC) on Nov. 16 from historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Orion entered a distant retrograde orbit on at 4:52 p.m. EST (2152 UTC) on Nov. 25, where the spacecraft has been testing systems in a deep space environment.

 

At the time of posting, the Moon was in shot:

 

[6Foot2]

Link: NASA, ICON Advance Lunar Construction Technology for Moon Missions | NASA

 

As NASA plans for long-term human exploration of the Moon under Artemis, new technologies are required to meet the unique challenges of living and working on another world.

 

NASA has awarded ICON, located in Austin, a contract to develop construction technologies that could help build infrastructure such as landing pads, habitats, and roads on the lunar surface.

 

"In order to explore other worlds, we need innovative new technologies adapted to those environments and our exploration needs," said Niki Werkheiser, director of technology maturation in NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). "Pushing this development forward with our commercial partners will create the capabilities we need for future missions."

 

The award is a continuation of ICON's work under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) dual-use contract with the U.S. Air Force, partly funded by NASA. The new NASA SBIR Phase III award will support the development of ICON's Olympus construction system, which is designed to use local resources on the Moon and Mars as building materials. The contract runs through 2028 and has a value of $57.2 million.

 

ICON will work with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, under STMD’s Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technologies (MMPACT) project. NASA is partnering with industry, government, and academic institutions under the MMPACT project.

 

The award will build on ICON’s commercial activities and other work with NASA.

 

ICON 3D printed a 1,700-square-foot simulated Martian habitat, called Mars Dune Alpha, that will be used during NASA's Crew Health and Performance Analog, or CHAPEA, analog mission starting in 2023.

 

ICON also competed in NASA's 3D Printed Habitat Challenge. The company partnered with the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, and the team won a prize for 3D printing a structure sample that was tested for its ability to hold a seal, for strength, and for durability in temperature extremes.

 

MMPACT is part of the Game Changing Development program within NASA’s STMD.

[6Foot2]

Link:

[NASA Picture Tweet]

 

The #Artemis I mission is uncrewed, but the @NASA_Orion spacecraft is filled with science, payloads, and…

 

Easter eggs. Take a look at this image and see if you can find them all. We will reveal them all on Dec. 10.

 

 

Tweeted image resolution: 2048 x 1536

[6Foot2]

https://youtu.be/7eTcKBVsDzY

 

At the time of posting:

 

[dcwhitworth]

Link:

[NASA Picture Tweet]

 

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]67431[/ATTACH]

 

Tweeted image resolution: 2048 x 1536

 

All is revealed - https://www.nasa.gov/feature/hidden-messages-pay-tribute-inside-nasa-s-artemis-i-orion-spacecraft

[6Foot2]

 

On Dec. 11, the Artemis I mission will conclude with the entry, descent, and splashdown of the Orion spacecraft. After 25.5 days in space, and a 1.3-million-mile (2.1-million-km) journey around the Moon, Orion is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 12:39 p.m. EST (17:39 UTC) on Sunday, Dec. 11. The exploration ground systems recovery team from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, working with the U.S. Navy, will recover the spacecraft. Live coverage for this event begins at 11 a.m. EST (16:00 UTC).

 

Orion launched aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at 1:47 am EST (06:47 UTC) on Nov. 16 from historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

 

The Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, the SLS rocket, and Kennedy Space Center's Exploration Ground Systems.

 

Edit:

 

Link: NASA's Orion capsule returns to Earth, capping Artemis I flight around moon | Reuters

 

NASA's Orion capsule barreled through Earth's atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific ocean on Sunday after making an uncrewed voyage around the moon, winding up the inaugural mission of the U.S. agency's Artemis lunar program 50 years to the day after Apollo's final moon landing.

 

The gumdrop-shaped Orion capsule, carrying a simulated crew of three mannequins wired with sensors, plunked down in the ocean at 9:40 a.m. PST (1740 GMT) off Mexico's Baja California peninsula, executing a key demonstration of how future lunar astronauts would safely return to Earth.

 

"From Tranquility Base to Taurus-Littrow to the tranquil waters of the Pacific, the latest chapter of NASA's journey to the moon comes to a close. Orion, back on Earth," said Rob Navias, a NASA commentator speaking on a live stream.

 

The splashdown capped a 25-day mission less than a week after passing about 79 miles (127 km) above the moon in a lunar fly-by, and came about two weeks after reaching its farthest point in space, nearly 270,000 miles (434,500 km) from Earth.

 

The capsule at 9 a.m. PST committed to its fiery, 20-minute plunge at 24,500 miles per hour (39,400 kph) into Earth's atmosphere when it shedded its service module, exposing a heatshield that reached peak temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius).

 

Orion blasted off on Nov. 16 from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop NASA's towering next-generation Space Launch System (SLS), now the world's most powerful rocket and the biggest NASA has built since the Saturn V of the Apollo era.

 

The debut SLS-Orion voyage kicked off Apollo's successor program, Artemis, aimed at returning astronauts to the lunar surface this decade and establishing a sustainable base there as a stepping stone to future human exploration of Mars.

 

By coincidence, the return to Earth of Artemis I unfolded on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 moon landing of Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on Dec. 11, 1972. They were the last of 12 NASA astronauts to walk on the moon during a total of six Apollo missions starting in 1969.

 

Re-entry marked the single most critical phase of Orion's journey, testing whether its newly designed heat shield can withstand atmospheric friction and safely protect astronauts that would be on board.

 

"It is our priority-one objective," NASA's Artemis I mission manager Mike Sarafin said at a briefing last week. "There is no arc-jet or aerothermal facility here on Earth capable of replicating hypersonic re-entry with a heat shield of this size."

 

If Artemis I is deemed a success, a crewed Artemis II flight around the moon and back could come as early as 2024, followed within a few more years by the program's first lunar landing of astronauts, one of them a woman, with Artemis III.

 

Though the capsule encountered some unexpected communication blackouts and an electrical issue during its voyage around the moon, NASA has given high marks to the performance of both SLS and Orion so far, boasting that they exceeded the U.S. space agency's expectations.

Edited December 11, 2022 by 6Foot2