NASA's Artemis I Finally Lifts off From Earth, 50 Years After Apollo 17's Launch

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida and sent the Orion spacecraft to Moon's orbit. The Orion will continue towards the Moon, which it will orbit for several days before its likely return to the Earth on December 11.

"For the Artemis generation, this is for you," said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director.

One of the critical goals for NASA is to test Orion's heat shield as it enters Earth's atmosphere. The rocket was originally intended to debut in 2017 but got delayed.

This mission was scheduled to launch on November 14, but tropical storm Nicole approaching the Florida coast forced the US space agency to push back the launch attempt. In September, the US space agency called off the Artemis I launch owing to Tropical Storm Ian threat. On September 3, NASA attempted to launch Artemis I but called it off after detecting a liquid hydrogen leak.

In 2025, NASA plans to launch the first crewed Moon landing since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. That will include the first woman and the first person of colour to walk on the Moon.

Artemis I will provide a foundation for human exploration in deep space and demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.

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The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.