On the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, NASA announced on Wednesday that it is preparing for a massive new Moon rocket launch in late August.
NASA will make a test flight to the moon lasting more than a month with three mannequins, but no astronauts, as early as August 29. There are also two launch dates in early September. , before NASA had to shut down for two weeks.
NASA’s Jim Free notes that “our test flight” Artemis show back moon. The space agency’s new moon program is named Artemis after ApolloThe twin sister of Greek mythology.
30 floors Space rocket launcher system and attached onion The capsule is currently in the hangar at Kennedy Space Center, following repairs that stemmed from last month’s countdown test. Fuel leaks and other technical problems occurred during repeated NASA launch maneuvers at the launch pad.
NASA officials assured reporters Wednesday that the issues have been resolved and the inspection is nearly complete. But they warned the launch date could be missed, depending on Florida’s volatile weather and problems could arise before the rocket is supposed to return to the launch pad on August 18.
“We will be careful,” said Free, head of exploration system development.
At 322 feet (98 meters), the Orion rocket and capsule are taller than even the Statue of Liberty.
If Orion’s trip to the moon and back goes well, astronaut could get on board in 2023 to circumnavigate the Moon and actually land in 2025.
Astronauts last explored the moon in 1972. The first of 12 people to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz aldrinstepped onto the dusty gray surface on July 20, 1969, while Michael Collins orbited the moon.
92-year-old Aldrin, the only survivor of the three, recorded the anniversary in a tweet. He said, “Neil, Michael & I are proud to represent America as we take those giant leaps for humanity. It was a world bonding moment and America’s greatest hour. “
