What Is NASA's Artemis 1 Mission?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched its most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) in Florida on November 16
The rocket soared into the sky of Florida on the Artemis 1 mission at 1:47 a.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center
Artemis 1 is NASA's remarkable plan designed to send humans to the moon in a series of missions
Under this mission, NASA will send the new Orion capsule on a test flight around the moon without any crew members
The Orion spacecraft, formally known as the Multiple-Purpose Crew Vehicle is designed to take astronauts to the moon
Artemis 1 is the first integrated flight test of NASA's Deep Space Exploration Systems altogether
According to NASA, the main goal of the mission is "to assure a safe crew module entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery"
The SLS will also carry 10 small satellites to perform scientific and technological investigations
Termed as "a series of increasingly complex missions", Artemis 1 is expected to provide a strong base for human deep space exploration in the future
According to NASA, this mission demonstrates its "capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II"