Artemis I

In News

• Artemis I  is set to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center  launching an Orion spacecraft toward the moon for  42 days. 

  • The upcoming launch is the first of six Artemis moon missions planned until 2028.     

About  Artemis I Mission                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

• Artemis I, formerly Exploration Mission-1 and It will be the first integrated flight test of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Systems: 
  • the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the newly upgraded Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

• It is an uncrewed mission but the first step toward putting humans back on the moon since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission.It is essentially a safety test. But future missions will include people.

• The primary operating goal of the mission is to assure a safe crew module entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery. 
• In addition to sending Orion on its journey around the Moon, SLS will carry 10 small satellites that will perform their own science and technology investigations. 

Significance                                                                                                                                        

• Moon settlement is important for Mars exploration because astronauts want to use its surface as a kind of pit stop for relauncing during long visits to Mars.
• Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II. 
• Artemis I is fundamental to the space economy, fueling new industries and technologies, supporting job growth, and furthering the demand for a highly skilled workforce.