Published 8/19/2022

NASA announces targeted launch of Artemis I uncrewed flight test

NASA invites everyone to its global virtual NASA Social event for the Artemis I launch of the SLS rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 29, 2022.

Aerospace

Edited by: Grace Nehls

Senior Managing Editor, CompositesWorld

NASA (Washington, D.C., U.S.) is inviting social media users to register and take part in its global virtual NASA Social event for the Artemis I launch of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is targeting launch on August 29, 2022 during a two-hour launch window that opens at 8:33 a.m. EDT.

Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test to send Orion around the moon and back to Earth over a six-week mission to check out systems before crew fly aboard on Artemis II. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars.

If your passion is to communicate and engage the world via social media, then this is the event for you. Seize the opportunity to blog, tweet, post or simply share about the Artemis mission.

Virtual NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:

Connect virtually with a community of people excited about the #Artemis I Mission
Watch exclusive behind-the-scenes videos about the mission
Obtain your own NASA Social badge to share
Learn more about the Orion spacecraft, the SLS rocket launching Artemis and the mission objectives

The NASA Social event page will open on Monday, Aug. 15 and everyone is invited to join by selecting the “Going” button. Please note by attending the virtual event, you are explicitly agreeing to a set of rules/guidelines and anyone who breaks these rules may be banned from the event page.

All resources, participation, and registration are FREE. Learn more about registration here.

About the Artemis mission

Artemis I, formerly Exploration Mission-1, will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., U.S.

Artemis missions include landing the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, sending a suite of new science instruments and technology demonstrations to study the moon and establishing a long-term presence there.

A Dec. 2019 contract awarded to Aerojet Rocketdyne (Sacramento, Calif., U.S.) by Lockheed Martin (Littleton, Colo., U.S.) will support production of NASA’s Orion spacecraft fleet with engines and other products for Artemis missions three through five, with an option to support missions six through eight with three additional shipsets.
In Dec. 2020 it was reported that NASA is working with ICON (Austin, Texas, U.S.), a construction technologies company, on early research and development of a space-based, large-scale additive construction system that could support future exploration of the moon and Mars.
In Feb. 2021 NASA awarded Firefly Aerospace (Cedar Park, Texas, U.S.) approximately $93.3 million to deliver a suite of 10 science investigations and technology demonstrations to the moon in 2023, which are expected to investigate a variety of lunar surface conditions and resources, preparing for human missions. Firefly is known for its spaceflight composite components.
Lockheed Martin opened its Spacecraft Test, Assembly and Resource (STAR) Center in Sept. 2021, providing a space to scale up Orion production and deliver spacecraft more quickly.
Airbus (Tolouse, France) delivered its second European Service Module (ESM) in Oct. 2021. ESMs will provide propulsion, power, air and water for the astronauts, as well as thermal control of the entire Orion spacecraft. More than 20,000 parts and components are installed in the ESM, from electrical equipment to engines. Its primary structure also makes high use of carbon fiber composites.