Just as NASA’s uncrewed Orion spacecraft is about to reach a record distance from Earth for a human-rated spacecraft, the European Space Agency has released some awesome footage showing its recent launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This unusual angle was captured by a camera attached at the Orion spacecraft on top of the Space Launch System rocket (SLS). Directly below, we can see the engines firing up to lift the rocket and spacecraft into space and onto the moon (at least for Orion).
The clip lasts 3 minutes and 33 seconds, but the engines don’t fire up until the 3-minute mark, so unless you enjoy long buildups, then just drag the time slider to the right.
Launched on November 16The SLS rocket was the most powerful booster ever to lift off the ground. Packing around 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the SLS is more powerful than the Saturn V rocket that sent astronauts toward the moon in the late 1960s and early ’70s.
However, when SpaceX finally launches its next-generation Super Heavy rocket — an event expected to take place in the coming months — its power will dwarf that of the SLS, with around 17 million pounds of thrust pushing the first-stage booster and second-stage Starship spacecraft to orbit.
Powerful rockets are necessary to accelerate a spacecraft fast enough to beat the pull of Earth’s gravity and send it on a precise trajectory to its destination. It also allows spacecraft to carry greater loads into space, which is vital if we’re going to transport materials to the moon and beyond to build bases for long-term astronaut stays.
NASA’s current Orion mission is its primary focus. NASA is currently testing the hardware for a crewed mission that will follow the same route. Orion has been orbiting the moon well so far. The mission will end on December 11, when Orion will splash down just off the California coast.
Prior to that, Orion will travel 268,552 miles away from Earth on Monday, November 28.
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