a lot of hopes and dreams of a lot of people. And we now are the Artemis generation,”
The aim of the test flight, scheduled for a six-week return, is to test the SLS and the Orion Crew capsule that is situated on top of the rocket. The capsule will encircle the moon in order to ensure that the vessel is, indeed, safe for humans to board in the near future.
Instead of human astronauts, three test dummies are strapped into the capsule to measure vibration, acceleration and radiation, one of the biggest hazards to humans in deep space. This will be measured through the 1000 sensors embedded within the capsule.
The SLS-Orion combo, standing 98 metres (322 feet) tall, form the centrepiece of the US space agency’s successor to the Apollo moon programme of the 1960s and 1970s, is billed as the most powerful, complex rocket in the world, the SLS represents the biggest new vertical launch system NASA has built since the Saturn V flown for Apollo.
The next mission, Artemis 2 will take astronauts on an orbit around the moon without landing on its surface. If success is attained for the two missions, then NASA will prepare for astronauts to once again step foot on the moon. It is said that this time, the force of astronauts will consist of a woman, who will be the first to step foot on the moon. This is expected to happen by 2025.
