In an attempt to send astronauts back to the moon, project ‘Artemis’ has taken its first step. NASA has announced that the Space Launch System (SLS) successfully lifted off at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. ‘Artemis’ was originally scheduled to be launched in early August but the launch was postponed several times because of technical difficulties and bad weather.
NASA started working on the SLS in 2014, and the agency has invested more than 2.3 billion dollars thus far. At 111.25 meters tall, it is equivalent in height to a 30-story building. Of all the rockets that mankind has ever built, the SLS has the strongest thrust, able to deliver 143 tons of package to space.
NASA put three dummies on board in order to check the performance of the space suit. They also attached detectors that will monitor the exposure to radiation. Through the first stage of project ‘Artemis,’ the agency will test the rocket itself. During the second stage, they hope to send an astronaut in order to check the navigation systems. During the third and final stage, NASA hopes to send four astronauts back to moon.
With U.S. taking the lead, twenty one countries, including South Korea, have worked together in order to make the project possible. NASA hopes to use this project as the steppingstone that will eventually lead to manned exploration of Mars and beyond.
By. Ian Kang