UPDATE 0721 UTC – Success! NASA has taken the first step towards regaining control of its space program. The Moon. Continue reading Here.
Is it the third time that’s the charm? NASA, less than one week after its massive machine was destroyed by Hurricane Irma, was poised to launch its mega Moon rocket from Florida early Wednesday morning.
“Our time has come. “And we hope that that’s on Wednesday,” Mike Sarafin said at NASA headquarters. He is the manager of the long-delayed Artemis 1 missions.
The weather is expected to be good with an 80 percent chance for launch in a two-hour window that begins Wednesday at 1:04 AM EST (Wednesday 6,04 GMT, or Wednesday 5,:04 PM AEDT).
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As was expected, Charlie Blackwell Thompson (NASA’s first female launch director) gave her permission on Tuesday to begin fueling operations.
The US space agency plans to launch the Artemis 1 mission as a test flight, without astronauts. This is the first step in its plan to create a permanent presence on Moon. MarsIn the 2030s.
Named after Apollo’s sister, this new space program was established 50 years after humans last stepped on lunar soil.
It will mark the launch of the Space Launch System rocket 32 stories tall, the most powerful designed by NASA.
The countdown is already underway at Kennedy Space Center, where the orange-and-white behemoth awaits the maiden flight.
The rocket will take off less than one week after Hurricane Nicole passed through the area.
A thin strip of caulk-like material that encircles Orion’s crew capsule atop rocket has been damaged by the hurricane. This made it more aerodynamic. NASA stated Monday that there was no risk to the rocket’s aerodynamics.
If necessary, two backup dates can be made on November 19th and 25th.
‘Extremely excited’
Around 100,000 people are expected to attend the launch. The rocket promises to light up the night sky.
Andrew Trombley is a St. Louis-based space enthusiast who hopes for a successful launch after many failed attempts.
The network engineer stated, “I have been down here before to see this thing go up, and it was canceled so this is like, whatever. This is the third trip down there for this, so it’s exciting to see it go.”
“I was too little for the Apollo missions, so … I wanted to be here in person.”
It attracted both tourists and locals to the launch.
Kerry Warner, 59 (grandmother and semi-retired educator) who lives in Florida is ready for liftoff. She said it was “part and parcel of America” and what America is all.
“Third Time’s the charm, it’s what we want.”
Far side the Moon
To protect it from Ian’s second hurricane, the rocket had been taken back to its building.
Two attempts to launch were cancelled due to technical issues before these weather setbacks.
The first failure was caused by a malfunctioning sensor. The second resulted from a fuel leak during filling of the rocket’s tank. It runs on extremely-cold, volatile liquid oxygen and hydrogen.
NASA has since changed its seals and improved its procedures to avoid thermal shock.
Two boosters and four powerful engines beneath the core stage will lift the Orion capsule. It will then separate in a few seconds.
The capsule will make it to its destination after a final push from its upper stage. It may take several days before it reaches its destination.
Rather than landing on the Moon, it will assume a distant orbit, venturing 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) beyond the far side – further than any other habitable spacecraft so far.
Orion will then embark on the return leg. The capsule’s heat shield must withstand temperatures half as high as those found on the Sun’s surface when it passes through the atmosphere.
If takeoff occurs Wednesday, the mission lasts 25 and a-half days. A splashdown in the Pacific Ocean will occur on December 11.
After more than a decade of developing the SLS rocket, NASA hopes for a successful mission. According to a public audit, it will have spent more than $90 million on its new lunar program by 2025.
Artemis 2 will be a lunar flyby with astronauts in 2024.
Artemis 3 will see boots on ground no earlier than 2025. Crew members should include the first woman or person of color to visit the Moon.
