Basic information about the Artemis program's Space Launch System and Orion capsule.
The Artemis mega moon rocket is NASA's latest and most powerful launch vehicle, intended to return astronauts, robots, and supplies to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. It consists of a multistage rocket called the Space Launch System , which can carry various additional modules atop it, such as the Orion crew vehicle that houses astronauts during flight.
What is the Space Launch System?SLS is a super heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of taking astronauts to destinations all over the solar system, including the moon and Mars, according to NASA . It can be organized into several evolvable and increasingly powerful configurations, allowing the agency to take on ever more ambitious missions.
Under its initial Block 1 configuration, the SLS can ferry 59,500 pounds to the moon, according to NASA. The next configuration, Block 1B crew, will add a powerful Exploration Upper Stage that will provide an additional 97,000 pounds of thrust to the rocket and make it taller than the Saturn V rocket that carried Apollo astronauts to the moon. Block 1B crew can send 83,700 pounds to deep space, allowing researchers to bring supplies and experiments to Mars or beyond.
The vehicle is made mainly from aluminum alloys, according to NASA , with an outer layer of 1,300 thermal protection silica tiles similar to the ones used on the underside of the space shuttle. The bottom of the capsule carries a large heat shield to protect crews as they reenter Earth's atmosphere, when Orion will be traveling a screaming 25,000 mph and reach temperatures as high as 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit — more than half as hot as the surface of the sun.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Fall’s Most Wanted: Commission’s Blue Oxford ShirtIn the hands of the Commission designers, the basic button-down shirt is anything but boring.
Read more »
How to Use BeReal: A Guide to the Hit Photo Sharing AppA basic guide on how to use BeReal, the hit photo sharing app that prompts you to shoot and share an authentic photo of your life every day.
Read more »
All The Fashion Essentials You Need To Adorn Your Fall Looks - Love for GlamFall season strikes your wardrobe every season with tons of fashion essentials, and their basic goal is to talk about statement-making.
Read more »
Projecting the Cowboys’ 53-man roster: KaVontae Turpin cements statusFRISCO — Imagining how the Cowboys’ 53-man roster could look next week is a challenge. Knowing a couple of basic NFL rules helps. The first pertains to the...
Read more »
How NASA’s Artemis program plans to return astronauts to the moonThe lunar campaign begins with the test flight of a giant new rocket, followed by missions to fly humans to the moon for the first time since 1972.
Read more »
The Artemis plan: Why NASA sees the moon as a stepping stone to MarsThe Artemis 1 mission will kickstart the next era of crewed space exploration.
Read more »