Artemis 1: NASA to attempt 3rd launch of Moon mission on September 27

Washington, Sep 13: NASA is again preparing to launch its Artemis 1 mission to the moon rocket on a test flight on a long-awaited mission to send an unpiloted Orion crew capsule on a 42-day trip.

The US space agency will now conduct the demonstration test no earlier than Wednesday, Sept. 21, and has updated its request for a launch opportunity Sept. 27, with a potential backup opportunity of Oct. 2 under review.

The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket remains on its pad at Kennedy Space Center, with an empty crew capsule on top. It's the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA.

The updated dates represent careful consideration of multiple logistical topics, including the additional value of having more time to prepare for the cryogenic demonstration test, and subsequently more time to prepare for the launch. The dates also allow managers to ensure teams have enough rest and to replenish supplies of cryogenic propellants.

Teams are working the upcoming commercial crew launch in parallel to the Artemis I planning and both launch schedules will continue to be assessed over the coming weeks.

NASA and SpaceX will review the Artemis I and Crew-5 prelaunch processing milestones to understand any potential impacts. The agency's Crew-4 return will continue to be planned following a short handover on the space station with Crew-5.

As per NASA, the broadcast will begin on Saturday at 12:45 pm (ET) on Twitter, YouTube, Twitch and Facebook handles of the US space agency. The rocket will blast off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B in Florida.

It's the first of three Artemis missions planned; Artemis II is expected to carry four crew members in 2024, while Artemis III is expected to send two astronauts to the moon in 2025 or later.

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Timings

Sept 27: 70-minute launch window opens at 11:37 a.m. EDT; landing on Nov. 5
Under review - Oct. 2: 109-minute launch window opens at 2:52 p.m.; landing on Nov. 11

Where to watch Artemis-1 launch to the moon?

You can track all the development related to the maiden launch of NASA's Artemis project on the official website of the US space agency or its social media handles. Several online options like NASA TV, NASA official YouTube channel are available for space fans to watch the Artemis 1 launch live event. One can watch the live coverage on any of the following feeds:

NASA's YouTube channel

• The NASA app
• NASA's Website
• The KSC YouTube channel

What's the goal of the Artemis project?

The mission is a first step toward Artemis 3, which is going to result in the first human missions to the Moon in the 21st century and the first since 1972. Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight.

Its primary goal is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion's heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

Artemis I will be the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to build a long-term human presence at the Moon for decades to come. The primary goals for Artemis I are to demonstrate Orion's systems in a spaceflight environment and ensure a safe re-entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II.