After many postponements of the Artemis I mission, NASA finally found a safe window on November 16 for the launch of the super-powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. With its successful launch, the SLS is the most powerful operational rocket to date. Its boosters create much more thrust than the legendary Saturn V rocket, which launched the first astronauts to the Moon more than 50 years ago. When the Orion spacecraft has reached the Moon, NASA has released impressive video footage of the recent launch of the mega rocket into space.
The unusual angle was obtained through a camera attached to the Orion spacecraft at the top of the Space Launch System rocket. Looking straight down, we see how the engines start and lift the rocket and spacecraft into the sky. Then, after a minute, the spent boosters, which create 75% of the rocket’s thrust to lift off from the Earth, separate and fall into the Atlantic Ocean. Next, the thrust is created by four RS-25 engines, which are powered by liquid fuel from the orange central accelerator – they are the ones that give Orion momentum to enter the trajectory to reach the Moon.
The first mission called Artemis I takes place without a crew, only manikins and toys are present on board the spacecraft. But if the spacecraft successfully completes a flyby around the Moon, performs a series of experiments, and then safely survives the return to Earth, then future astronauts will fly away in the next Artemis II mission in 2024. And in 2025, astronauts can set foot on the surface of the Moon.
The launch on November 16 was made by the SLS rocket with the most powerful launch vehicle, which took off from the surface of the Earth with a thrust of about 4,000 tons. However, when SpaceX finally launches its next-generation Super Heavy rocket, its power will surpass that of the SLS, with about 8,000 tons of thrust, which will put the super-heavy Starship spacecraft into orbit.
Earlier we reported on the TOP 5 interesting facts about the NASA SLS rocket.
Follow us on Twitter to get the most interesting space news in time
https://twitter.com/ust_magazine
