![]() ![]() The spacecraft will hit the top of Earth’s atmosphere moving at about 40,233 kilometres per hour, and its heat shield will experience temperatures of nearly 2,760C. Just before reentering Earth’s atmosphere, the service module will separate from Orion. ![]() The service module will experience a burn that enables the moon’s gravity to slingshot Orion back on its way to Earth. Orion will make its second-closest approach to the lunar surface, coming within 804 kilometres, on October 3. This is 48,280 kilometres farther than Apollo 13’s record. The spacecraft will achieve its maximum distance from Earth of 450,616 kilometres on September 23 when it ventures 64,373 kilometres beyond the moon. ![]() Orion will surpass the distance record of 400,169 kilometres - set by Apollo 13 in 1970 - on September 8 when it loops around the moon. The service module will place Orion in a distant retrograde orbit around the moon on day 10. The next few days after launch, Orion will venture out to the moon, coming within 96 kilometres during its closest approach to the lunar surface on day six of the journey. NASA releases haunting audio of the ‘creepiest sound’ made by a black hole This maneuver will put Orion on a path to the moon. Shortly after that is the trans-lunar Injection burn when the ICPS boosts Orion’s speed from 28,163 kilometres per hour to 36,371 kilometres per hour to escape the pull of Earth’s gravity and set off for the moon.Īfter this burn, the ICPS will separate from Orion.Īround 6.30am AEST, Orion will make its first outbound trajectory correction burn using the European Service Module, which provides the spacecraft with power, propulsion and thermal control. The perigree raise manoeuvre will occur about 12 minutes after launch when the ICPS experiences a burn to raise Orion’s altitude so it doesn’t reenter the Earth’s atmosphere. The core stage of the rocket will separate about eight minutes later and fall toward the Pacific Ocean, allowing for Orion’s solar array wings to deploy. Journey to the moonĪfter liftoff, the solid rocket boosters will separate from the spacecraft about two minutes into the flight and splash down in the Atlantic Ocean, with other components also jettisoning shortly after. In the last few seconds, hydrogen will burn off, the four RS-25 engines will start, resulting in booster ignition and liftoff at T minus zero. Much of the action takes place in the final minute, as the ground launch sequencer sends the command for the rocket flight computer’s automated launching sequencer to take over about 30 seconds prior to launch. The launch director will poll the team to make sure that every station is “go” 15 minutes ahead of liftoff.Īt 10 minutes and counting, things kick into high gear as the spacecraft and rocket go through the final steps. A planned 30-minute countdown hold will start about 40 minutes before launch. Afterwards, the team will top off and replenish any of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that dissipates during the fuelling process.Ībout 50 minutes before launch, the final NASA test director briefing will occur. Credit: Joe Raedle /Getty Imagesįive hours before, the upper stage will begin fuelling. As the Artemis I rocket team prepared for the record-breaking mission, storm clouds threatened to postpone the launch. The team began fuelling the rocket’s core stage eight hours before launch. Late Sunday night into early Monday morning, the launch team conducted a briefing to discuss weather conditions and decide if they are “go” or “no go” to begin fuelling the rocket. The live countdown is well underway, with liftoff scheduled for around 12.30am AEST on Tuesday morning, for those watching from Australia. However, closer to the launch period those chances decrease to 60 per cent as the chance for scattered showers and storms increases. The weather is currently looking good for launch, with an 80 per cent chance of favourable weather, according to a US Space Force forecast on Sunday. “We will launch the world’s only spacecraft designed to carry humans into deep space, atop the most powerful rocket,” said NASA chief Bill Nelson. Sitting at the very top of the 32-storey-high rocket is the space capsule set to fly beyond the Moon and back again. The rocket will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 29 between 10.30pm and 12.30am AEST.Īlthough there is no human crew on board the mission, it’s the first step in the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon and eventually land them on Mars. Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus > ![]()
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