Artemis 1 launch: How the ‘most powerful rocket engine’ will propel NASA’s plan to grow food on lunar soil – EXPLAINED

Artemis 1 launch: NASA’s Artemis 1 is a first step towards Artemis 3 which will be the first human mission to the moon in the 21st century and the first since 1972. However, Artemis 1 is an unmanned test flight to the moon. 

NASA has recently confirmed September 3 as the launch date of the Artemis mission, following an unplanned technical engine glitch in its prior scheduled launch date of August 29.

Artemis 1: How is it different from the other rockets being launched by NASA?

Artemis 1 is set to be the first flight of the all-new Space Launch System (SLS), which NASA refers to as a heavy lift vehicle.

It will be by far the most powerful rocket engine ever flown to space. Even Apollo’s Saturn V system that took astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s, stands defeated. It is undoubtedly a hybrid between the space shuttle and Apollo’s Saturn V rocket.

It has an all-new combination of both- liquid oxygen and hydrogen main engines. It is equipped with two strap-on solid rocket boosters derived from the space shuttle. This indeed makes it a new kind of rocket system.

Artemis 1: What makes this mission special?

NASA’s moon mission –Artemis 1– will carry a series of small satellites that will be positioned in orbit of the moon. Those satellites will observe almost everything, from looking further into the permanently shadowed craters where scientists think there is water to just doing more measurements of the radiation environment, seeing what the effects will be on humans for long-term exposure. This will stand as a forerunner in space science.

Artemis 1: What is ahead of this mission?

A successful launch of the Artemis 1 mission will lead to evolution and the diversity in the Artemis 3 mission. Notably, there will be at least one woman and very likely a person of colour on the latter mission.

This mission will begin a sustainable exploration beyond earth’s orbit driven by a number of different goals. It consists of using lunar soil to produce food, fuel and building materials.

NASA, after 50 years of space technology development, is very close to proving that much more sophisticated experiments are possible with the understanding of computer technology.

Tomorrow, the beginning of the new revolution in the field of space awaits us!