First Artemis Lunar Missions Launches Today: How to Watch?

Humanity, which last set foot on the moon 50 years ago, continues its efforts to return to our satellite with new technologies and new purposes. The first of the Moon return missions, which is expected to play a major role in humanity’s journey to other planets, will begin today.

Artemis I, the first mission of the Artemis mission program, which aims to finally set foot on the Moon for humanity, will start with the launch that will take place at 15.33 today. So, what will this mission, which will be carried out without a human, cover? How to follow the task live? Let’s take a closer look at all the details about Artemis I.

What is the Artemis I task?

The Artemis I mission, the first leg of the Artemis mission program, will take place with the ‘Space Launch System (SLS)’ rocket, the most powerful rocket ever produced by NASA, and the ‘Orion’ spacecraft. The mission will begin at NASA’s modernized Kennedy Space Center. The mission, which will start at 15.33 today, will last 42 days, 3 hours and 20 minutes, according to the figures determined by NASA.

The Orion spacecraft will travel a total of 2 million 92 thousand kilometers during the mission. After the vehicle returns to the Moon orbit, it will re-enter Earth orbit and begin its descent to Earth. The spacecraft is expected to enter our atmosphere at a speed of 39 thousand 428 kilometers per hour on October 10, 2022 and land on Earth.

What is the purpose of the Artemis I mission?

Artemis I’s primary goal will be to demonstrate Orion’s systems in a spaceflight environment and to ensure safe re-entry, landing, bounce and recovery prior to maiden flight with the crew aboard Artemis II. In short, the Artemis I mission will be a test mission for the development of systems to be used in manned missions.

When will the continuation of the Artemis mission program take place?

While the second mission of the Artemis program is targeted for 2024, this mission will be the first manned mission of the program. But the astronauts will not reach the lunar surface. Artemis 3, which will be the first Artemis mission that humanity will set foot on the Moon again, is planned to take place in 2025.

What does Artemis mean? Why ‘Artemis’?

NASA gave a big nod to previous missions by choosing the name ‘Artemis’. Artemis is mentioned as the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology. You will remember that NASA’s first Moon program was also called Apollo.

Artemis I mission logo:

How to watch the Artemis I mission?

You can follow the first mission of the Artemis mission program, where NASA will open a new page in human history, live on NASA’s own website or YouTube channel. You can find NASA’s mission release below: