NASA Artemis

The Moon is calling. On Nov. 16, 2022, the Orion spacecraft launched aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from @NASAKennedy Space Center and embarked on the #Artemis I mission to the Moon and back. Orion orbited the Moon, getting as close as 79 miles (127 km) to the lunar surface, and successfully splashed back down to Earth 25.5 days later on Dec. 11. Four RS-25 engines and two five-segment solid rocket boosters provided more than 8.8 million pounds (4 million kg) of thrust for SLS during liftoff and flight. Thanks in part to development of a new RS-25 engine controller that checks engine health 50 times per second, engineers were able to collect more than 100 measurements on pressures, temperatures, flows, speeds, and vibrations on the four RS-25 engines that helped power Artemis I. The preliminary post-flight data indicates that all SLS systems performed exceptionally and that the designs are ready to support a crewed flight on Artemis II. The Artemis II mission will bring us closer to establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface and landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. This video was captured from the Launch Pad 39B perimeter and was used by engineers to monitor and track the rocket during flight. Video credit: NASA Music credit: Universal Production Music Cover photo: NASA/Chris Coleman and Kevin Dav #MegaMoonRocket #Launch #SpaceLaunchSystem #LunarMission #STEM #NASA #Space #Liftoff #Rocket #NASAKennedy

One last look before we go⁣ ⁣ On Dec. 5, our @NASAArtemis Orion spacecraft made its closest approach to the Moon, flying 79.2 miles above the lunar surface in order to harness the Moon’s gravity and accelerate for the journey back to Earth. After passing behind the far side of the Moon, Orion powered a flyby burn that lasted approximately 3 minutes and 27 seconds. This burn changed the velocity of the spacecraft by approximately 655 miles per hour (1054 km/hour). ⁣ ⁣ Orion is expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego at 12:40 p.m. EST (17:30 UTC) on Sunday, Dec. 11. You can tune in at nasa.gov/live. ⁣ ⁣ Video Description: The Orion spacecraft appears on the left, and the nearby cratered Moon in the center, along with the distant crescent Earth, all washed in glare from the Sun, which is outside of the frame just below.⁣ ⁣ Credit: NASA⁣ ⁣ #NASA #Artemis #Moon #NASAMoon #Orion #Spacecraft #ArtemisGeneration #Space #exploration

This is your crew 🌖⁣ ⁣ Meet the four astronauts who will fly around the Moon aboard our Orion spacecraft on the 10-day #Artemis II mission. ⁣ ⁣ Mission Commander – Reid Wiseman⁣ ⁣ Pilot – @AstroVicGlover ⁣ ⁣ Mission Specialist – @Astro_Christina ⁣ @CanadianSpaceAgency ’s Mission Specialist – @AstroJeremy ⁣ Image descriptions: ⁣ ⁣ Image 1: The Artemis II crew sits for their portrait in front of a dark background. Wearing orange suits with patches noting their names, nationalities, and NASA or CSA. From left to right, are Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen. Koch holds a helmet in her hand. ⁣ ⁣ Image 2: NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman poses for a portrait in his orange Artemis flight suit with blue trim around the neck and shoulders, and three patches: one with the U.S. flag on his left shoulder, one with his name and a pair of wings on his chest, and one with the NASA “meatball.” The background is dark, and the photo is lit to focus on Wiseman's face.⁣ ⁣ Image 3: NASA astronaut Victor Glover poses for a portrait in his orange Artemis flight suit with blue trim around the neck and shoulders, and three patches: one with the U.S. flag on his left shoulder, one with his name and a pair of wings on his chest, and one with the NASA “meatball.” The background is dark, and the photo is lit to focus on Glover’s face.⁣ ⁣ Image 4: NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch poses for a portrait in her orange Artemis flight suit with blue trim around the neck and shoulders, and three patches: one with the U.S. flag on her left shoulder, one with her name and a pair of wings on her chest, and one with the NASA “meatball.” The background is dark, and the photo is lit to focus on Koch’s face.⁣ ⁣ Image 5: Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen poses for a portrait in his orange Artemis flight suit with blue trim around the neck and shoulders, and three patches: one with the Canadian flag on his left shoulder, one with his name and a pair of wings on his chest, and one bearing the logo of the Canadian Space Agency. The background is dark, and the photo is lit to focus on Hansen’s face.⁣ ⁣ Credits: @NASA /Josh Valcarcel⁣ ⁣ #Astronauts #Moon #Space #Launch #Orion #sls

Spacelike conditions… our favorite. ⁣ ⁣ The Orion spacecraft for the #Artemis II mission is undergoing a series of tests to ensure the capsule is ready for the unforgiving space environment. ⁣ ⁣ Recently, a 30-ton crane returned Orion into the newly renovated altitude chamber where it underwent electromagnetic testing earlier this year. During testing, engineers subjected the spacecraft to electromagnetic energy using wave guides, amplifiers, and antenna horns. The test helps verify that all of Orion’s electronic systems can work in sync and safeguards against potential malfunctions caused by electromagnetic disturbances in the harsh environment of space.⁣ ⁣ The spacecraft is now undergoing a series of vacuum chamber qualification testing. The tests will subject the spacecraft to a near-vacuum environment by removing air, thus creating a space where the pressure is extremely low. This creates an atmosphere similar to the one the spacecraft will experience during Artemis II. ⁣ ⁣ Image description: In this image, technicians use a 30-ton crane to lift NASA’s Orion spacecraft on Friday, June 28, 2024, from the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell to the altitude chamber inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The altitude chamber has silver paneling and is lined with spiral staircases and ladders. The spacecraft is in the center of the chamber and has some padding and wires exposed. ⁣ ⁣ Credit: @NASA /Radislav Sinyak⁣ ⁣ #Spacecraft #Testing #NASA #Space #SpaceEnvironment #STEM #LunarMission #Electromagnetic #VacuumChamber #Crane #Orion #OrionSpacecraft #Astronaut

“My experience in Arizona was incredible! I worked with several teams, explored an exotic landscape, and got a taste of what it’s like to be on a mission with a crew. JETT5 involved hundreds of people who developed the tools, suits, medical protocols, geology strategies, and flight operational plans. We conducted moonwalk simulations in the San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, AZ, with nearly 600 volcanoes to explore. Navigating an unfamiliar environment in suits and backpacks designed to simulate limited conditions made the experience uniquely challenging. We had to manage our resources carefully, balancing science objectives with safety, especially when things didn’t go as planned. We learned that we sometimes make trades between maximizing science returns and ensuring our safety, especially when faced with challenges or delays. This experience provided invaluable insights for our flight operational planning team, helping us refine our operations for future missions. I am so grateful to be a part of that history!” – NASA astronaut @astro_andred Mission Description: The Joint EVA and Human Surface Mobility Test Team (JETT) is a specialized group that develops, integrates, and executes human-in-the-loop tests and analog missions. Analog missions like JETT enable #Artemis mission goals and development of operationally effective systems, including the Exploration Extravehicular Activity (xEVA) System, for successful planetary surface operations. JETT is led out of @nasajohnson in Houston. The group is sponsored by Johnson’s Extravehicular Activity & Human Surface Mobility Program (EHP) in collaboration with the Science Mission Directorate (SMD). More behind-the-scenes of this mission linked in our story! #nasa #moonwalk #astronauts #jett5 #lunarsurface #analogmission

15 years ago: America’s first step of a lasting return to the Moon. ⁣ ⁣ NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) successfully launched together on June 18, 2009, on a @ULALaunch Atlas V rocket. ⁣ At the Moon, LRO gathered information on day-night temperature maps, contributed data for a global geodetic grid, and conducted high-resolution imaging. In November 2011, NASA released the highest resolution near-topographical map of the Moon ever created, showing surface features over nearly the entire Moon. An interactive mosaic of the lunar north pole was published in March 2014. Today, LRO is still gathering data on our celestial neighbor in preparation for #Artemis human landing missions. ⁣ ⁣ As planned, LCROSS and its Centaur stage impacted the Moon on Oct. 9, 2009. The twin impacts exposed a plume of material from inside a crater that might not have seen direct sunlight for billions of years. LCROSS and LRO found evidence that the lunar soil in shadowy craters is rich in useful materials, and that the Moon is chemically active and has a water cycle. Scientists also confirmed the water was in the form of mostly pure ice crystals in some places.⁣ ⁣ Credit: NASA/GSFC/KSC ⁣ ⁣ #Launch #LRO #Lunar #LCROSS #LunarReconnaissanceOrbiter #Moon #RocketLaunch #Orbiter #Spacecraft #STEM #NASA #Space #321Launch

It’s not just a phase. 🌖 On Sept. 30, 2023, @EuropeanSpaceAgency astronaut Andreas Mogensen snapped a photo of the waning gibbous Moon from the @ISS as it soared 260 miles (approx. 418 km) above the Atlantic Ocean near the northeast coast of South America. The waning gibbous phase is one of eight phases of the moon, and occurs between the full moon and half moon phase. As the Moon moves toward the Sun, the lighted side of the Moon appears to shrink from our perspective on Earth. During the #Artemis II mission, four astronauts will venture around the Moon for the first crewed Artemis test flight, paving the way for future lunar surface missions. Image description: The white and gray Moon hangs at the top and middle of the image against the blackness of space. The hazy, curved limb of the Earth’s atmosphere crosses the center of the image, fading to the cobalt blue Earth below. Credit: @NASA , ESA/Andreas Mogensen #Moon #WaningGibbous #MoonPhases #SpaceStation #ISS #SpacePhotography #EarthPhotography

#TBT An intrepid explorer captures the Martian marble. The two-part Viking 1 mission, comprised of a lander and an orbiter, reached Mars orbit during June of 1976. A month later, the Viking 1 lander became the first spacecraft to successfully land on the planet. The Soviet Mars 3 lander claimed a technical first with a survivable landing in 1971, but contact was lost seconds after it touched down. While the Viking 1 lander was on the surface, the Viking 1 orbiter continued to map and make scientific observations of the planet for four years. This mosaic of Mars is a compilation of images captured by the orbiter. The formation and evolution of Mars is comparable to Earth, and studying the Red Planet could teach us more about our own planet’s history and, possibly, its future. Our work on the Moon under #Artemis missions will prepare us for that next giant leap of sending astronauts to Mars. Image description: Mars is centered in the image, a bronze-colored sphere with the bottom edge in shadow. The center of the scene shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system, over 1,800 miles long (approx. 3,000 km) and up to about 5 miles deep (approx. 8 km), extending from Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east. The planet is surrounded by the blackness of space. Credit: @NASA /USGS #Mars #MarsPhotos #Viking1 #MarsLander #DeepSpace #MartianSurface #STEM #Martian #Space #NASA #Astronauts

Preparation is the key to success 🌒 On May 16, 2024, @NASAAstronauts Kate Rubins and @Astro_AndreD executed a nighttime simulated moonwalk in Northern Arizona during a lunar operations test. The test included four simulated moonwalks that followed operations planned for #Artemis missions III and beyond. During the test, two teams worked together as they practiced lunar operations. The field team consisted of astronauts, NASA engineers, and field experts in the Arizona desert conducting the simulated moonwalks, while a team of flight controllers and scientists at @NASAJohnson Space Center monitored and guided their activities. Image description: NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins bends over to pick up a rock in the center of the image, using a tool in her left hand and wearing a white mockup spacesuit. The area in front of her is illuminated by headlamps on her suit. In the background, Astronaut Andre Douglas looks toward a rocky area in the left of the image. Two other team members are in the background on the right and the sky above is navy blue. Credit: @NASA /Josh Valcarcel #Moon #Moonwalk #LunarSurface #AnalogMission #Astronauts #MoonMission #NighttimePhotography #ScienceRocks

Honey, I’m home!⁣ ⁣ This animated rendering shows what the Gateway space station will look like once it is fully deployed. ⁣ ⁣ Under #Artemis , @NASA and its partners—@CanadianSpaceAgency , @EuropeanSpaceAgency , @JaxaJP , and @MBRSpaceCentre —are developing Gateway, the first space station to orbit the Moon. Together, we’re expanding the frontiers of space exploration and science for the benefit of all. We are going, and we go together. Ad lunam! ⁣ ⁣ Credit: NASA ⁣ ⁣ #NASA #Artemis #Moon #SpaceStation #STEM #HoneyImHome #HomeSweetHome #Animation #LunarOrbit #HomeAwayFromHome ⁣

On the far side of the Moon. On June 7, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) imaged China’s Chang’e 6 sample return spacecraft on the far side of the Moon. Chang’e 6 launched on May 3, 2024, and landed on the Moon on June 1. When LRO passed over the landing site almost a week later, it captured an image showing the lander on the rim of an eroded, 55-yard-diameter (about 50 meters) crater. Image description: This black and white image from LRO shows China’s Chang’e 6 lander in the Apollo basin on the far side of the Moon on June 7, 2024. The lander is the bright dot in the center of the image. The image is about 0.4 miles wide (650 meters). Lunar north is up. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University #LunarSpacecraft #LunarMission #MoonMission #LunarSample #Crater #ApolloBasin #FarSideOfTheMoon #TheFarSide

Coming in hot! ⁣ ⁣ When the Orion spacecraft returns from the Moon, over 1,000 tiles help protect the spacecraft from the incredible heat of reentry.⁣ ⁣ The thermal protection system tiles are just one of the systems that Dervens Marseille, a manufacturing engineer for Lockheed Martin at @NASAKennedy , helps install on Orion.⁣ ⁣ The tiles make up a protective cover known as Orion’s backshell, and are made of a silica fiber material similar to those used for more than 30 years on the space shuttle. They will protect the spacecraft from both the coldness of space and the extreme heat of entry into Earth’s atmosphere.⁣ ⁣ Credit: @NASA ⁣ ⁣ #ComingInHot #Reentry #OrionSpacecraft #Spacecraft #STEM #SpaceShuttle #Atmosphere #Orion