With less than a calendar week to go , Artemis I is officially go for launching . NASA ’s new Moon programme begins in earnest on Monday , August 29 when the monolithic Space Launch System ( SLS ) and the Orion Spacecraft take to the sky in their first - ever flight of steps . NASA has confirm the launch windowpane , so here ’s how you may watch this moment in space launch account .
“ We are go for launch and it ’s dead outstanding . This day has been a long time number , ” NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana said during a press conference yesterday , confirmingthe skyrocket ’s hardware has return the preparedness review article .
Up to 200,000 multitude are expected to flock to Florida ’s " space coast " to witness the launch of the most powerful rocket ever build from the Kennedy Space Center , including aslew of celebtitiesthat will boast in NASA ’s live programme , include Chris Evans , Keke Palmer , and Jack Black .
More powerful than the Saturn fivesome rocket that took the Apollo missions to the Moon and back , SLS will attempt to deliver the uncrewed Orion capsule to outer space , where it will make a flyby of the Moon and return to Earth after its 42 - day mission . This new technology require to demo it is foolproof as it will one daylight take humans to the Moon . This means Orion ’s heat shield will need to stand up up to reentry through Earth ’s atmopshere .
“ I want to put this in linear perspective . This is a examination flight all in good order and it ’s not without risk , ” Cabana enunciate . “ We have break down the risk as well we can and we ’ve mitigated also as best we can but we are stressing Orion beyond what it was actually designed for in readying for sending it to the Moon with a crew and we want to verify that it wreak utterly perfectly when we do that and that we understand all the risks . We ’re going to learn a lot from this trial escape . ”
Artemis I will see the Orion spacecraft spend 42 day in space , include six days in domain around the Moon . The farthest it will touch from Earth is 450,000 kilometers ( about 280,000 miles ) and it will return with splashdown in the Pacific await for October 10 .
If everything goes concord to design , the next missionary post Artemis II will launch in May 2024 and it will be come after by the crewed Artemis III in tardy 2025 .
How to watch Artemis I launch live
If you are not one of the thousands traveling to Cape Canaveral next week , do n’t interest , you may ascertain SLS launch from the historical launch area 39B ( Apollo and Skylab both launched from here ) last where ever you are in the world .
The two - minute launch windowpane opens at 8.33 am ET on August 29 and you’re able to watch out the live stream on ourFacebook page right here . you’re able to also look out it live onNASA TV , on its web site and multiple social culture medium program .