At 14:47 GMT on November 16, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) lifted off with the Orion spacecraft. The mission, called Artemis 1, was an unmanned lunar orbit test mission to prepare for the subsequent manned lunar orbit on Artemis 2 and manned lunar landing on Artemis 3.
On Dec. 1 local time, NASA announced that the unmanned spacecraft successfully ignited its engines and began its return to Earth. The ignition began at 4:54 p.m. EDT and lasted less than two minutes, according to NASA live commentator Shaneequa Vereen.
“Orion made a successful ignition in a long retrograde orbit of 1 minute and 45 seconds,” Vereen said, adding that the spacecraft’s solar panels can be seen gently rocking back and forth during the NASA live broadcast, with a “tiny Earth” shining in the background. Vereen said.
Orion has now begun its 10-day journey home, according to the report. If all goes according to plan, it will return to the arms of Mother Earth on December 11, eventually crash-landing off the coast of California, where NASA and the U.S. Navy have already begun training for the recovery that will mark the end of the Artemis 1 mission.
Artemis 1 is a test of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to ensure that both are flightworthy and can safely send astronauts into deep space and back.
If Artemis 1 goes as planned, the next mission, Artemis 2, will put astronauts in lunar orbit in 2024, followed by Artemis 3 by 2025.
So far, Artemis 1 has completed its mission, according to NASA. Project managers say the SLS launch demonstrates that the launch vehicle is fully compliant with expected standards.
“The first launch of the SLS rocket was nothing short of exciting,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager. He added, “While our Orion mission is still in progress and we continue to learn as we fly, the rocket system has operated as designed and expected in every situation.”
