Aviation Week reports that well beyond “the halfway point of the 25-1/2 day Artemis I test flight, NASA’s Orion crew capsule is prepared to depart its Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) around the Moon to return home for a Dec. 11 splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: Artemis I
NASA Faces Challenges as it Looks to Establish a Lunar Base
The Los Angeles Times reports, “If NASA ever establishes a lunar base – a long-term project advanced Wednesday with the launch of Artemis I – it will have to confront…challenges to human habitation. It’ll also have to figure out the dust.” Lunar dust is jagged and grainy, and is an issue for anything man-made on the moon that would land or launch from the surface. “One of the foremost institutions studying lunar dust and its potential effect on human missions is the Swamp Works, a NASA research lab co-founded in 2013 by [University of Central Florida planetary scientist Philip] Metzger, who is now retired from the agency but still collaborates on some projects.” This lab looks to test technology that would allow humans to live and work on the moon or other planetary surfaces in the future.
Full Story (Los Angeles Times)
Artemis I Launch Weather Projected to be Favorable, Storms Expected for Saturday SpaceX Launch
Florida Today reports that Florida “summertime weather could threaten a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch scheduled for Saturday night from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. On the other hand, conditions for Monday morning’s highly anticipated liftoff of NASA’s massive Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule from Kennedy Space Center seem to be more favorable.” On Saturday night, “SpaceX teams will likely have to contend with 40% ‘go’ conditions for the 58th liftoff of dozens of Starlink satellites at 10:22 p.m. EDT from LC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But, Space Force forecasters expect those conditions to improve to around 60% throughout the launch window which closes just after midnight.”
Full Story (Florida Today)
Watch the Artemis I launch live on NASA TV
Launch scheduled for Monday, August 29, between 8:33 a.m. and 10:33 a.m. EDT
Storm Delays SpaceX Launch while Artemis I Remains on Launchpad for Now
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX has pushed back the flight of its next Falcon 9 rocket from Tuesday to Saturday as Subtropical Storm Nicole threatens the east coast of Florida, officials said Monday.” However, NASA is still keeping Artemis I on the Kennedy Space Center launchpad for its launch attempt next week. SpaceX is now scheduling its launch for Saturday for delivery of Intelsat’s Galaxy 31 and 32.
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)