Following a successful launch on Wednesday, Nov. 16, NASA’s uncrewed Orion spacecraft is heading toward the Moon on a 25.5-day mission beyond the lunar surface. Orion lifted off atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at 1:47 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Engineers intend to learn as …
Payloads: Snowcone Cloud Edge Compute Demonstration (Snowcone): To meet yearly certification requirements and prepare for later science operations, the Snowcone science hardware was powered on, appropriate files were loaded, and the system checked out. Snowcone demonstrates technology to screen astronaut images and identify those that may contain sensitive information not for public release. The technology …
Two Roscosmos cosmonauts are finalizing their preparations for a spacewalk on Thursday for hardware transfers and electronics connections on the International Space Station. Meanwhile, two NASA astronauts are cleaning up after a spacewalk on Tuesday readying the orbiting lab for a pair of rollout solar arrays to be installed beginning at the end of the …
The interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) completed its approximately 18-minute trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn and the spacecraft has separated from the stage. 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. NASA will hold a postlaunch news conference at …
The perigee raise maneuver has been 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. The trans-lunar injection burn is currently targeted for about 3:14 a.m. EST …
Orion’s solar arrays have completed their deployment. The arrays are drawing power, and early data suggests good performance. The next milestone will be a perigee raise maneuver targeted for approximately 2:41 a.m. EST to raise Orion’s orbit in preparation for the critical trans-lunar injection that will send Orion to the Moon.
Space Launch System core stage main engine cutoff is complete, and the core stage has separated from the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. The next milestone is deployment of Orion’s solar arrays, scheduled to begin approximately 18 minutes after launch.
The service module fairing and launch abort system have successfully separated from the Orion spacecraft. The SLS core stage will continue to fire until about 8 minutes after launch.
The Space Launch System’s (SLS) solid rocket boosters have successfully jettisoned. The SLS core stage will continue to fire until 8 minutes after launch. In about one minute, the service module fairing and launch abort system will separate from the Orion spacecraft.
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. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew …
