Well, space lovers. It’s almost time. NASA is about to launch its next-generation rocket for the first time and send it to the moon. It’s going to be a tough time, but honestly, a lot has happened here on Earth too – and if you’re anything like me, you might be on the market for a quick update on exactly what’s going on when the next big thing blows up.
Consider your SLS cheat sheet as NASA prepares for its big launch on August 29.
What is SLS?
It stands for Space Launch System.
Sounds like a very boring name.
That. But it is also very functional as it refers to a system for throwing things into space.
What kinds of things can SLS do?
A lot of things! This version of the SLS has and can carry four large rocket motors and two solid-state boosters. About 27 tons Also the proximity of the moon. this More than a space shuttle Can be transported to LEO, but less than It can carry an Apollo-era Saturn V rocket to the moon. Future versions of SLS may achieve more.
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Wow, how are you going to do this?
It will light up like a £ 5.75 million firework. These thrusters – the twin white cylinders on either side of the rocket – are 17 stories tall and filled with a solid rocket fuel called polybutadiene acrylonitrile. They burn for six tonne of this fuel every second, According to NASA. In case you’re wondering what this is for jumbo jets, NASA has you covered. Each “generates more thrust than 14 four-engine jumbo commercial planes.” The two thrusters will generate 75% of the boom that will lift the rocket and its payload off the ground.
But that’s only part of the rocket’s power. There is also a length of 212 feet basic phase The big orange part of the rocket. On launch day, it will be filled with 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen, which will power the four engines below.
All that fuel and engineering results in a boat full of power. Within 8.5 minutes of launch, the SLS capsule and the Orion carrying it will travel at speeds of approximately 17,000 miles per hour.
What is the Orion capsule?
I know it, Breast Substantial. Therefore, the SLS will carry a spacecraft called the Orion. (In the photos, it is a The white part is above the missile.) is in no way affiliated with ORION GAME TOOL.
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Photo by Lauren Grosch / The Verge
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Orion is designed for missions outside of Earth’s orbit, with possible destinations on the Moon or Mars. I have one very bright appearance It will help you cope with extreme temperatures in space, a state-of-the-art heat shield to deal with atmospheric reentry and boot system interrupted Astronauts can be safely launched if something goes wrong during launch. In space, it can endure four people On mission for 21 days.
Orion flew into space earlier in a Test flight in 2014. It has since passed many tests in preparation for this upcoming, long overdue journey, Lot of times. (More on these delays below.) In 2020, there seemed to be a possibility that it would be delayed again when some engineers did. find a problem With the energy component of the spaceship. Trying to fix it would take months and they have backup systems available then They will fly the spaceship as it is.
Will there be people inside Orion?
Not. There will be three mannequins tied inside, which looks terrifying to varying degrees. the one whose name is Commander Monequim CamposHe will wear one of the flight suits that astronauts will wear on future missions. He will be joined by limbless Helga and Zohar, who will carry radiation detectors to see how much radiation astronauts might be exposed to during a trip to the moon. The Zohar will wear a jacket that protects from radiation. Helga no. Good luck, Helga.
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One of the main reasons there are no astronauts on board is that the entire launch is one giant test flight. It’s the first time SLS has made its first appearance in space, and putting people on a rocket before knowing if it can actually work seems like a really bad option. (NASA I briefly thought about doing just thatthen decided against him.) Instead, I’ll focus on Artemis I testing how well the Orion and SLS are working and pushing them to the limit before people get on board.
What is Artemis I?
Friend, another name! Artemis I is the mission of SLS and Orion. Its main objective is to ensure that Orion can operate in space and that it can safely return astronauts to Earth when the mission is completed. As a reward, I will Fly farther from Earth than any spacecraft designed for humans It has flown before, reaching a distance of 280,000 miles from Earth.
During its 42-day mission, it will travel a total distance of about 1.3 million miles, on its way to the Moon, and then enter lunar orbit for several days before returning to Earth. The maps for this mission look too big and confusing 8. If the launch goes as planned on August 29th, it should take off back to Earth on October 10th.
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Are there any other Artemis missions?
Yes! Hopefully with Artemis I, NASA will switch to Artemis II, which will be the first flight of the SLS / Orion group with crew on board. It is also the first manned mission to return to the Moon since the Apollo era, but the astronauts aboard will not land on the Moon – they will orbit for a while and then return to Earth.
The ultimate goal is for NASA to land the first woman on the moon during the Artemis III mission, which is still ongoing. In August, NASA More potential landing sites announced Near the south pole of the moon.
Yes, this rings the bell. How long has it been in the works?
or Artemide program? Since 2019, when then Vice President Mike Pence announced that NASA is returning to the Moon and will arrive there in 2024.
Fun fact! She owes her name because in the mythology Artemis she is the twin sister of Apollo and there is a lot of nostalgia for the Apollo missions, for better or for worse.
Will they bring it back to the moon by 2024?
Of course. they Filming of the year 2025 At this point, but this is still quite ambitious.
And the SLS project? I seem to have heard of this a long time ago.
Surely. Its origins date back to around 2010, when the United States was moving away from the space shuttle and heading towards other means of space transport. Part of it started out as a project called Constellation which was canceled because it was too expensive. It was then revived as an SLS in 2010, with the aim of being released in 2017. back to 2018 And it continued to slide as the project became I’m late And in the budget.
For a complete overview of the story, Check out our story here.
But … are they ready to go now?
It seems so! Despite The dress rehearsal was halted in June Due to the hydrogen leak, engineers think they’ve fixed all last-minute missile missions and NASA decided it would. go shoot.
What will be on board?
In addition to Helga, Zohar and Commander Moonikin Campos, there will be some other scientific experiments aboard Artemis I. During the mission, the spacecraft will deploy 10 small satellites called CubeSats. A few ice maps on the moon, one spreads out a giant solar sail and heads for an asteroid, One will try to land on the moon. On board there will also be a scientific experiment that Take the yeast where the yeast has never gone before Trying to study radiation from deep space.
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Inside the capsule will also be velvet Shawn’s name is Shawn. Also, Snoopy. Shaun and Snoopy will act like Zero gravity indicatorsit floats around the globe once it hits microgravity.
When will the SLS come out?
August 29 at 8:33 am See you there!
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