NASA Livestreams the Rocket That Will Carry Four Astronauts Around the Moon (bbc.com)
- Reference: 0180606874
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/01/17/1828213/nasa-livestreams-the-rocket-that-will-carry-four-astronauts-around-the-moon
- Source link: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cpdyjx6ed66t
[2]NASA is livestreaming their move of the 11-million-pound "stack" — which includes the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft secured to it, all standing on its Mobile Launch Platform. Travelling at less than 1 mile per hour, the move is expected to take 12 hours.
> The mission — which could blast off as soon as 6 February — is expected to take 10 days. It is part of a wider plan aimed at [3]returning astronauts to the lunar surface .
>
> As well as the rocket being ready, the Moon has to be in the right place too, so successive launch windows are selected accordingly. In practice, this means one week at the beginning of each month during which the rocket is pointed in the right direction followed by three weeks where there are no launch opportunities. The potential launch dates are:
>
> — 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 February BR> — 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 March BR> — 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 April
"The crew of four will travel beyond the far side of the moon, which could set a new record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth, currently held by Apollo 13," [4]reports CNN :
> But why won't Artemis II land on the lunar surface? "The short answer is because it doesn't have the capability. This is not a lunar lander," said Patty Casas Horn, deputy lead for Mission Analysis and Integrated Assessments at NASA. "Throughout the history of NASA, everything that we do is a bit risky, and so we want to make sure that that risk makes sense, and only accept the risk that we have to accept, within reason. So we build out a capability, then we test it out, then we build out a capability, then we test it out. And we will get to landing on the moon, but Artemis II is really about the crew..."
>
> The upcoming flight is the first time that people will be on board the Artemis spacecraft: The Orion capsule will carry the astronauts around the moon, and the SLS rocket will launch Orion into Earth orbit before the crew continues deeper into space... The mission will begin with two revolutions around Earth, before starting the translunar injection — the maneuver that will take the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and on toward the moon — about 26 hours into the flight, Horn said. "That's when we set up for the big burn — it's about six minutes in duration. And once we do this, you're on your way back to Earth. There's nothing else that you need to do. You're going to go by the moon, and the moon's gravity is going to pull you around and swing you back towards the Earth...." Avoiding entering lunar orbit keeps the mission profile simpler, allowing the crew to focus on other tasks as there is no need to pilot the spacecraft in any way.
"The Artemis program's first planned lunar lander is called the Starship HLS, or Human Landing System, and is currently under development by SpaceX..."
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cpdyjx6ed66t
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVnsO_rdew
[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cpdyjx6ed66t?post=asset%3A4dd02156-e6a4-443a-acda-7c29c86fba66
[4] https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/17/science/nasa-artemis-ii-moon-mission
New! Improved! (Score:2)
Apollo 8 replay!
"Twinkle, twinkle Gemini Five; How we hope you come back alive."
Re: (Score:2)
This is a really inappropriate joke. Especially considering the present track record of Boeing/Artemis.
These astronauts are at serious risk.
Re: (Score:2)
> present track record of Boeing/Artemis
Press F to pay respects.
Re: (Score:2)
I misquoted the "inappropriate" part. It actually read "How I want you back alive." It was written by astronaut Pete Conrad's wife, and was read on national newscasts.
Re: (Score:2)
Thoughts and prayers.
In advance even.
Phrasing! (Score:3)
> which could blast off
Pretty sure NASA prefers "lift off" or "launch" ... :-)
Waste of money (Score:1)
Waste of money to orbit moon.
Re: (Score:1)
Putin still has the pictures of Trump blowing Bubba
Re: (Score:1)
Trump himself should go on this mission. His health is impeccable, and I've seen pictures of him as an astronaut, so he's clearly trained and experienced.
All I need is one shot (Score:3)
Has anybody have any idea what the speedometer looks like, you know redline at 2mph ?
Re: (Score:3)
I believe the max speed is 1mph, not 2.
You can read more about it on:
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_launcher_platform
The difference - (Score:2)
Between NASA and SpaceX is incredibly stark.
NASA crawling at 1 mile an hour on a billion dollar transporter carrying their launch Tower along with the rocket.
SpaceX blithely tooling down a public Highway with their considerably larger rocket on commercially supplied transporter systems.
We already faked the moon landing (Score:1)
We should fake landing Uranus this time.
Senate Launch System (Score:3)
The Senate Launch System was engineered to deliver 100 tons of cash into porking orbit around the US Senate chamber. This September 15th, 2011 piece on HuffPo sure was prophetic:
[1]https://www.huffpost.com/entry... [huffpost.com]
> The Senate Launch System will force the U.S. to jettison an entire generation of expertise in spaceflight, advanced technology and exploration systems, not to mention most of our astronaut corps and the Johnson and Kennedy space centers where such work is based. While trying to fund and build the SLS, NASA will kill itself as an exploration entity.
[1] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-senate-launch-system_b_963484
Re: (Score:2)
See that's the problem with the press. They latch on to a good story - SLS is a disgusting waste of money - but then they take it too far and push nonsense.
"It will destroy NASA" - Nope, it's just a disgusting waste of money, but there is more money to come.
The MAGA right is fucked, the woke left is fucked, please people, be a centrist.
Apollo DEI (Score:2)
Someone needs to show taxpayers that:
EITHER: The people on this mission were chosen not because of their skin color or their vagina possession but because they were the best person for the job.
OR: Admit that this is a shameful, sexist, racist DEI mission.
If it is the latter, it must be cancelled.
Corporate welfare (Score:2)
What possible value is coming from this besides corporate welfare.
They're not even practicing getting into orbit around the moon, which would be needed for a landing. This is just a government sponsored joy ride.
Re: (Score:3)
I am watching it now! So captivating I think I am going to watch it for the next 12 hours!
Re: (Score:3)
The hardware needs to be tested incrementally, gradually extending mission goals as you test intermediate ones. That's why Apollo 11 was preceded by four manned missions, two of which went to the moon without landing.
If you go into lunar orbit, there is an added risk, especially if you don't have a lander as a backup for getting out of it. (Apollo 8 didn't have one.) I can respect NASA's decision not to go into orbit on this mission.
Re: (Score:2)
> They're not even practicing getting into orbit around the moon, which would be needed for a landing.
The (uncrewed) [1]Artemis I [wikipedia.org] mission did this in 2022, so, at least, the equipment has already been tested for that. I imagine the astronauts have spent a bunch of time in simulations on the ground, training for all kinds of situations.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_I