By Tim Binnall
As many Americans were asleep in their beds last night, NASA's bold plan to return to the moon began in earnest with the successful launch of the massive Artemis 1 rocket. The breathtaking event, which occurred at 1:47 AM local time, saw the sizeable craft finally take to the skies following a series of delays over the last few months. Similar to the landmark Apollo rocket, the Artemis 1 consists of a relatively tiny Orion capsule that will be dispatched to the moon by way of NASA's enormous 322-foot-tall Space Launch System vehicle.
Wednesday morning's launch was the first stage in a three step process which NASA envisions culminating with astronauts returning to the lunar surface. Since this particular mission is serving as something of a test for the entire system, there are no humans aboard the Orion capsule, though it does contain specially designed mannequins that will be used to relay all manner of data concerning conditions within the craft during its journey. That 26-day long trip will see the vehicle travel to and orbit the moon before returning to Earth on December 11th.
Should the mission prove successful, it will be followed by the launch of Artemis 2, which will be a similar lunar flyby, but with human occupants aboard the Orion capsule. That event is tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2024, though it could be delayed by any number of issues. In the best case scenario, NASA will send Artemis 3 into space sometime in 2025 and that mission will aim to land four astronauts on the lunar surface. Although the timetable may wind up being adjusted as the space agency tackles various obstacles that could arise, the Artemis 1 launch should give one hope that, at long last, we just may see humans walking on the moon again in the not too distant future.