Artemis 1 Launch Now Set for Saturday 3 September with Next Window Opening on 5 Sep
With predicted weather conditions 60% favorable, leaky propellant lines replaced / retorqued and faulty RS-25 engine temperature sensor identified, NASA is “Go” for launch of flagship Artemis 1 (SLS + Orion); Engine bleed cooldown schedule modified 30-45 minutes earlier than originally planned; 2-hour launch window opens 14:17 at KSC, ~400k spectators expected to view historic launch nearby while space / Moon explorers around the world will witness launch on NASA Live and track 37-day mission with Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW)
Long-awaited USA flagship spacecraft Artemis 1, comprised of $US23B+ Boeing / Northrop Grumman developed Space Launch System (SLS) and $20B+ / 4-crew Lockheed Martin Orion capsule slated to roll out to LC-39B at KSC 18 Aug ahead of 29 Aug launch to Moon; 42-day mission includes 4-day outbound phase, 6-day retrograde orbit; 5-m diameter, 186-piece AVCOAT heatshield must withstand 2,760°C while travelling 11 km/s upon reentry, a record for human-rated craft; “Any one of our 42 active astronauts is eligible” for Artemis 2/3 human Moon Missions, per Astronaut Office Chief Reid Wiseman
3 Additional European Service Modules (ESM) Ordered From Airbus Of Germany (With Assistance From 10 European Countries) At Cost Of US$783M; Providing Artemis 4-6 Lunar Astronauts With: Propulsion Via 26.6kN Thrust Orbital Maneuvering System Engine (Orion Main Engine Debuting On ESM-6); Power Via 4 Solar Arrays Measuring 2m x 7m, Housing (3) 2mx2m PV Panels Each, Generating 11.2 kW; Life Support Sufficient To Maintain A 4-Member Crew For Up To 3 Weeks; Orion-1 Awaits Successful SLS Core Stage Hot Fire Test Week Of 21 Feb At Stennis, After Which Integration May Commence At KSC
Construction Of US$10B Space Launch System Continues Since January Throughout Government Shutdown; Top Half Of First Core Stage Is Assembled In Vertical Stacking Cell At NASA Michoud Assembly Facility In New Orleans; Manufacture And Checkout Of 10 Solid Rocket Booster Segments Is Completed At Northrop Grumman In Utah; SLS Will Produce 8.8 Million Pounds Of Thrust, More Than Saturn V; Uncrewed Orion Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) Scheduled To Orbit Moon In 2020; Second Core Stage Beginning Construction At MAF; EM-2 Projected For 2022 Will Carry Crew Of 4, Potentially Including First Woman To Orbit Moon
