NASA Artemis 1 Moon mission lifts off: Third time’s the charm for SLS rocket
NASA Artemis 1 mission: The space agency successfully launched the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft during its third launch attempt on Wednesday, November 16.
NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule, lifts off from launch complex 39-B on the unmanned Artemis1 mission to the moon at Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Joe Skipper NASA’s Artemis 1 mission successfully lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in cape Canaveral, Florida at 12.17 PM on Wednesday, November 16. Plagued by fuel leaks and other technical issues in the past, the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft were finally launched during NASA’s third attempt.
Eight minutes after the launch, the core stage engines cut off and the core stage separated from the rest of the rocket, allowing the Orion spacecraft to be propelled into space by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). NASA then deployed Orion’s four solar panels, allowing the spacecraft to power itself.
Although the launch happened successfully, it was not without its glitches. For its third attempt at launch, the American space agency said it was would follow “kinder, gentler” tanking operation procedures. And for a while, it seemed to be working. The liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks of the core stage were fuelled successfully without any untoward incidents.
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