Artemis I

Artemis I was an uncrewed mission to orbit the Moon, launched by NASA on November 16, 2022. It was the first major spaceflight of the Artemis program, marking NASA’s return to exploring the Moon after nearly fifty years since the Apollo program ended. The main goal of Artemis I was to test the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System rocket, especially the heat shield, to get ready for future missions where astronauts will go back to the Moon.

The Orion spacecraft was prepared for launch in October 2021, but there were some delays before it finally took off on November 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. After reaching orbit around Earth, the spacecraft traveled to the Moon, flew by it twice, and spent six days in a distant orbit before heading back to Earth.

Artemis I successfully returned to Earth on December 11, 2022, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. This mission helped scientists and engineers make sure everything works well for the next mission, Artemis II, which will carry astronauts around the Moon in April 2026. The Artemis missions aim to establish a human presence on the Moon and prepare for future scientific studies, including exploration of Mars.

Mission profile

See also: Orion (spacecraft) and Space Launch System

Artemis I was launched using a special version of the Space Launch System. This version included a main part, two strong boosters, and an upper stage. The main part used engines that had already helped space missions before. Together, these parts created a lot of power to lift the spacecraft off the ground.

After reaching space, the upper stage helped guide the Orion spacecraft and ten small satellites toward the Moon. Orion then flew alone to the Moon and spent time orbiting it before coming back to Earth. It got very close to the Moon and traveled far from our planet during its journey.

Mission profile animation of Artemis I

Earth-centered inertial reference frame

Earth-centered frame rotating with Moon

  Earth ·   Artemis I ·   Moon

Background

Artemis I was NASA's first big space flight after the Apollo missions, almost 50 years earlier. It was an uncrewed trip around the Moon to test new spacecraft and rockets. The mission helped make sure everything was safe and ready for future trips with astronauts.

The mission started as Exploration Mission-1 in 2012, planned for 2017. It would have been the first flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the second test of the Orion spacecraft. Over the years, the plans changed a bit, but the goal stayed the same: to test the new spacecraft and rocket for future Moon missions.

Flight

Artemis I was an uncrewed mission to orbit the Moon. It was the first big spaceflight of NASA's Artemis program, marking the agency's return to lunar exploration after the Apollo program ended nearly fifty years earlier. The mission tested the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

The mission launched on November 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. After launch, the Orion spacecraft traveled to the Moon, orbiting it before returning to Earth. On December 11, 2022, the Orion spacecraft landed in the Pacific Ocean near Guadalupe Island off the Baja peninsula in Mexico. The mission helped prepare for future trips with astronauts.

Payloads

The Orion spacecraft carried three special mannequins with sensors to learn what astronauts might feel during a trip to the Moon. One mannequin, named “Captain Moonikin Campos,” sat in the commander’s seat and had sensors to measure radiation, movement, and vibrations. With it were two other mannequins, “Helga” and “Zohar,” which helped scientists study radiation exposure during the mission. Zohar had a special shield to protect against radiation, while Helga did not. These mannequins gave important information about radiation levels and how safe the trip could be for future astronauts.

Orion also carried a small plush doll of NASA’s Snoopy as a fun zero-gravity indicator, and a toy of Shaun the Sheep to represent the European Space Agency’s part in the mission. The spacecraft had commemorative stickers, patches, seeds, and flags from many countries. It also carried a technology demonstration called Callisto, which used video conferencing and a virtual assistant to send and receive messages from people on Earth.

Cubesats

Ten small satellites called CubeSats flew with Artemis I to explore different parts of space. These satellites were made by different teams and countries to study the Sun, the Moon, and space radiation. Some of these satellites worked well, while others faced problems and could not complete all their tasks.

Public outreach

NASA designers from the SLS, Orion spacecraft, and Exploration Ground Systems teams created the Artemis I mission patch. The silver border stands for the color of the Orion spacecraft. In the middle, you can see the SLS and Orion. Three lightning towers around the rocket show Launch Complex 39B, where Artemis I took off. The red and blue paths around the white full Moon represent the teamwork of Americans and people from the European Space Agency.

NASA wanted to get people excited about the mission. They made a website where everyone could get a digital boarding pass for the mission. The names people sent in were put on a flash drive inside the Orion spacecraft. The capsule also carried a digital copy of the 14,000 entries from the Moon Pod Essay Contest hosted by Future Engineers for NASA.