How Long Before NASA’s SLS Reaches The Moon, Launch Overview, & More
More than half a century ago, humans stepped foot on the Moon for the first time ever. For years now, NASA has been preparing and working to not only return humans to the surface but set up a more permanent human presence. Thankfully, with the initial launch of SLS successful, a major first step is currently underway.
This morning at 1:47 a.m. EST, the Space Launch System lifted off for the first time apart of the Artemis 1 mission. Here you could see the 5.5 million pound SLS lift off into the Florida night sky using its four main engines and two boosters. While very exciting, the Orion Spacecraft still has a long journey ahead of it as it makes its way to the Moon.
This mission marks a major milestone not only for NASA, but humans as well, as we work to create a base on the Moon and set up much more impressive infrastructure. In total, this mission is expected to last around 25 and a half days, with Orion splashing down on December 11th. Here I will go more in-depth into this morning’s launch, Orion’s current position and journey, what to expect in the future, and more.
SLS Lift-Off
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, carrying the uncrewed Orion spacecraft lifted off from Launch Complex 39B in Florida at 1:47 a.m. EST. 1 minute and 9 seconds into the launch, SLS reached Max Q, where it flew through the greatest period of atmospheric force on the rocket. Just one minute later and the two solid rocket boosters cut off their main engines and were jettisoned from the rocket. About 3 minutes and 11 seconds into the flight, the service module fairing successfully separated along with the launch abort system which is no longer necessary.
8 minutes and 15 seconds in, the four core stage engines cut off and the booster separated from the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. 10 minutes later, onboard cameras provided a great view of Orion’s solar array wings being deployed. After 50 minutes had elapsed, the perigee raise maneuver was successfully completed. The interim cryogenic propulsion stage fired for just over 20 seconds to raise the lowest point of Orion’s Earth orbit in preparation for the critical trans-lunar injection burn that will send Orion to the Moon. 1 and a half hours into the mission and the trans lunar injection burn was performed. Finally, at 1 hour and 55 minutes into the launch, cameras showed the separation of the Orion spacecraft from the ICPS. Orion fired its auxiliary thrusters to move a safe distance away from the expended stage and the spacecraft is on its way to the Moon.
Just hours ago, NASA tweeted saying, “The upper stage of the Space Launch System rocket has successfully separated from @NASA_Orion. Orion, we are passing the baton to you. We are going! Artemis I, formerly Exploration Mission-1, is the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate NASA’s commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. “This is a mission that truly will do what hasn’t been done and learn what isn’t known,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis I mission manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “It will blaze a trail that people will follow on the next Orion flight, pushing the edges of the envelope to prepare for that mission.”
Orion’s Journey
Now that we know more about this morning’s launch, we can take a closer look at Orion’s current position, the journey this spacecraft has ahead of it, and what to expect in the next few weeks. As partially mentioned prior, this mission in total is expected to last around 25 and a half days. Next month, on December 11th, Orion is scheduled to splash down off the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean. However, before this final milestone, the spacecraft has a long journey ahead of it.
There are three main parts of this mission, starting with leaving Earth, then the trip to the Moon, and finally the return and reentry. The first part of the mission is complete. SLS has lifted off and Orion is on its way to the Moon. Propelled by a service module provided by the European Space Agency, which supplies the spacecraft’s main propulsion system and power (as well as house air and water for astronauts on future missions). As of right now, as the spacecraft continues on its path from Earth orbit to the Moon, Orion will pass through the Van Allen radiation belts, fly past the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation and above communication satellites in Earth orbit. In order to talk with mission control in Houston, Orion will switch from NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites system and communicate through the Deep Space Network. From here, Orion will continue to demonstrate its unique design to navigate, communicate, and operate in a deep space environment.
Orion’s current outbound trip to the Moon will take several days, during which time engineers will evaluate the spacecraft’s systems and, as needed, correct its trajectory. Orion serves as the exploration vehicle that will carry a crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain astronauts during their missions and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities in future missions. As of right now, after multiple days of travel through space, Orion will fly about 62 miles (100 km) above the surface of the Moon. It will then use the Moon’s gravitational force to propel Orion into a new deep retrograde, or opposite orbit, about 40,000 miles (70,000 km) from the Moon. The spacecraft will stay in that orbit for approximately six days to collect data and allow mission controllers to assess the performance of the spacecraft. During this period, Orion will travel in a direction around the Moon retrograde from the direction the Moon travels around Earth.
Once complete, it will be time for the spacecraft to return home. For its return trip to Earth, Orion will do another close flyby that takes the spacecraft within about 60 miles of the Moon’s surface, the spacecraft will use another precisely timed engine firing of the European-provided service module in conjunction with the Moon’s gravity to accelerate back toward Earth. This maneuver will set the spacecraft on its trajectory back toward Earth to enter our planet’s atmosphere traveling at 25,000 mph (11 kilometers per second), producing temperatures of approximately 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius) – faster and hotter than Orion experienced during its 2014 flight test.
After about four to six weeks and a total distance traveled exceeding 1.3 million miles, the mission will end with a test of Orion’s capability to return safely to the Earth as the spacecraft makes a precision landing within eyesight of the recovery ship off the coast of Baja, California. Following splashdown, Orion will remain powered for a period of time as divers from the U.S. Navy and operations teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems approach in small boats from the waiting recovery ship. The divers will briefly inspect the spacecraft for hazards and hook up tending and tow lines, and then engineers will tow the capsule into the well-deck of the recovery ship to bring the spacecraft home. If everything is successful, this will mark a major milestone for NASA as they work to return humans to the Moon.
With this first exploration mission, NASA is trying to lead the next steps of human exploration into deep space where astronauts will build and begin testing the systems near the Moon needed for lunar surface missions and exploration to other destinations farther from Earth, including Mars. The second flight on Artemis II will take crew on a different trajectory and test Orion’s critical systems with humans aboard. In addition, the SLS rocket will evolve from an initial configuration capable of sending more than 26 metric tons to the Moon, to a final configuration that can send at least 45 metric tons. Together, Orion, SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy will be able to meet the most challenging crew and cargo mission needs in deep space. Future exploration missions with crew aboard Orion will assemble and dock with a Gateway.
NASA and its partners will use the gateway for deep-space operations including missions to and on the Moon with decreasing reliance on the Earth. Using lunar orbit, the agency will gain the experience necessary to extend human exploration farther into the solar system than ever before. As of right now, Orion is hours into its mission and on its way to the Moon hundreds of thousands of miles away. Thankfully, NASA provides different software and tracking capabilities so you can see exactly where the spacecraft is and its progress on the overall journey. Something we will need to keep track of over the next 25 days.
Conclusion
After years of preparation and many months of trying to launch SLS, this morning NASA was able to make history. Here we saw the Space Launch System lift off into the night sky, followed by multiple successful operations and the separation of Orion from the rocket. Currently, Orion continues to gain speed and make progress on the long journey to the Moon. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.
