BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — We’re just days away from the launch of Artemis I, NASA’s uncrewed flight test around the moon.
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Teams are conducting final inspections ahead of this weekend’s call to stations.
NASA has announced that the launch countdown will begin on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 10:23 a.m.
Central Florida’s afternoon storms can always make things a little more difficult, but there’s still time to finish up the remaining work.
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The first integrated flight test of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft on an uncrewed journey around the moon will prepare NASA for future missions with astronauts on board.
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“If we launch on Monday, it’s a 42-day mission — much longer than any crewed mission is going to be,” said Doug Hurley, retired NASA astronaut and senior director of business development for Northman Grumman, which built the five-segment, solid rocket boosters for the powerful SLS rocket. “So we’re really stressing the equipment, which I think is good. From an operator standpoint, that’s great.”
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One of the primary objectives for Artemis I is to demonstrate the Orion heat shield as it returns to Earth for its ability to protect a future crew.
Every wire, every bolt, every piece of the vehicles must be tested to ensure they are safe for the crew.
READ: Brevard County officials: Expect traffic delays on Space Coast for Artemis I launch
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