The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket of the Artemis I space mission lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch brings an uncrewed Orion space capsule into lunar orbit.
NASA’s inspector general estimated the total cost of the launch, years behind schedule and over budget, at $4.1 billion.
The launch of Artemis I puts the lunar base and Mars expedition plans on more technically sound ground. “This flight test will push Orion to the limit in the rigors of deep space, helping us prepare for human exploration on the Moon and ultimately Mars,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. .
With launch dates uncertain, those plans include creating a lunar base and a contract that would mean 14 SLS rocket launches through 2036. Those plans seem firmer today than they did a week ago, with the launch of Artemis I repeatedly delayed by fuel leaks. that they even postponed the final departure.
The flight will ensure the safety of four astronauts for the Artemis II flight, scheduled to take place years from now. In development since 2010, the first launch of the SLS rocket, the world’s most powerful, kicks off a series of launches and programs that aim to “land the first woman and first racialized person on the Moon,” according to NASA, followed by sending astronauts to Mars.
