First step back to the moon: NASA Artemis-1 lunar landing rocket launched

Thanks to CTOnews.com netizens Wu Yanzu in South China for the delivery of clues! CTOnews.com, Nov. 16 (Xinhua)-- the NASA Space launch system (SLS) launched the Orion spacecraft Artemis 1 at 14:47 Beijing time today.

The Orion spacecraft on this maiden flight was carrying about 54 kilograms of equipment, including three simulated astronauts. Simulated astronauts will be equipped with sensors to collect a variety of data such as radiation to the moon to provide data for future manned flights.

CTOnews.com learned that it was a test flight around the moon, unmanned, in preparation for Artemis 2 and Artemis 3. NASA plans to send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface through the Artemis mission, paving the way for a long stay on the moon and to Mars.

The long-awaited launch, which was postponed several times, marks the first step for the United States to return to the moon. If the mission is successful, NASA expects to launch a manned mission around the moon as early as 2024. Finally, there will be a mission to the moon Artemis 3.