NASA Artemis 1 mission: Megarocket and Orion spacecraft successfully launches amid historic return to the Moon
Fox News
NASA successfully initiated its Artemis 1 mission, an unmanned flight, on Wednesday that will pave the way for mankind to return to the Moon for decades to come.
At approximately 1:47 am, the Space Launch System announced the SLS successfully took off from Launch Complex 39B in Florida, beginning a complex, weeks-long process. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - NOVEMBER 16: In this handout provided by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NASAs Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches, from Launch Complex 39B on November 16, 2022, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images) CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 15: NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft stands on launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on November 15, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown," NASA said in a statement.