On November 16th, at 1:47 a.m., the first part of NASA’s Artemis I mission, the Orion spacecraft was launched after several delays during the past few months, including hurricanes and technical difficulties. Launching the spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center was SLS, the Space Launch System, a 98-meter tall rocket from where Orion broke away to orbit. “We have laid the foundation for the Artemis program and many generations to come,” said John Honeycutt, the program manager for the SLS rocket. 

The spacecraft carried three mannequins equipped with special sensors made to detect radiation levels, among other pieces of data for a future launch in which they will be bringing the first woman and first person of color onto the moon as early as 2024. During its orbit around the moon, Orion is expected to log 2 million kilometers, making the course the longest traveled by any spacecraft, from November 21st to 25th. Orion will return in about 26 days, landing in the Pacific Ocean in San Diego on December 11th, where it will be recovered.

Artemis I will be followed by two other missions with an end goal of a moon landing later this decade. “The Space Launch System rocket delivered the power and performance to send Orion on its way to the Moon,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis I mission manager. “With the accomplishment of the first major milestone of the mission, Orion will now embark on the next phase to test its systems and prepare for future missions with astronauts.” 

Artemis II will be taking four astronauts on board into the moon’s orbit by 2024. Artemis III will be the final operation, landing the woman and person of color onto the surface of the moon. “The first launch of Artemis. The first step in returning our country to the moon and onto Mars,” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s first female launch director, said, “For the Artemis Generation, this is for you,” as the launch was announced.

The mission will involve astronauts traveling to the moon’s south pole, where they will be collecting ice from ice deposits scattered across the surface. The ice could be a possible water source for a future long-term stay on the moon. All of the missions are working toward the same goal to study the moon and prepare for it to become a potential bridge between Earth and Mars. 

Artemis program mirrors its predecessor, Apollo, which ended 50 years ago, to its name. Several countries have contributed to the missions as they had done during Apollo. South Korea newly joined a NASA-led coalition, and its Danuri probe was launched in August, with plans to enter orbit in December. Supported by countries and people all over the world, the Artemis program aims to make history and bring the moon closer to the lens of space exploration.