America is opening a new chapter of lunar exploration
The National Space Society sends heartfelt congratulations to NASA, the crew of Artemis 2, and the agency and contractor teams that made yesterday’s launch a resounding success.
“Watching the launch left me with the real sense that something important has begun,” said NSS CEO Karlton Johnson. “This is a moment for humanity as a whole to feel proud of what’s been achieved—we have left the Earth’s cradle to touch the stars once more. “
The SLS rocket, topped by the Orion spacecraft called Integrity, lifted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday. A handful of small issues were worked during the countdown, but the launch went right on time with a ten-minute planned hold.
“Clearly, we need to stay grounded, as much work lies ahead. But for the moment, I hope everyone chooses to embrace excitement and recognize the greatness we can achieve when we work together in peace. Godspeed, Team Artemis! See you on the other side,” Johnson added.
The ten-day mission is carrying four astronauts to a high-altitude pass behind the Moon. Reid Weisman is the commander with Victor Glover as pilot and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen as mission specialists. Hansen is a Canadian astronaut.
Artemis 2 is the first mission to leave Earth orbit in over half a century, the last being Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew will first boost to a high orbit around Earth and will then fire their engines to depart Earth orbit. They will perform a single pass behind the Moon at an altitude of about 4700 miles before returning to Earth a few hours into their 10th day.
The flight is important to the progress of the U.S.’s overall Artemis program, testing the Orion capsule and its life support and other systems in deep space. The mission will also provide deep-space crewed flight experience for Mission Control.
Artemis 2 is scheduled to conclude on April 10th with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Southern California.
