On Saturday, NASA again tried to launch its most powerful SLS missile in history (“Space Starting System”). The start should take place from the cosmodrome of the Kennedy Center in Florida. This is a new American program to return a person to the Moon “Artemis” (Artemis), writes the Russian BBC service in its material.
It is noted that the start was originally scheduled for Monday, but it was postponed for technical and weather reasons. And here is the second misfire. Engineers tried to eliminate the leakage of the cooling agent from the engines and bring them to normal operating temperature. But it was not possible to do this.
a 100-meter missile should be removed by a ship that will be manned in the future in the future in the direction of the moon. The last time this happened in December 1972 during the last flight of the Apolon-17 mission. Then the astronauts were flying to the moon, but now, after a long break and with completely new equipment, the first flight of the new lunar program will be unmanned. This is a test launch, checking the effectiveness of technology. If the current launch passes as planned, the next flight of Artemis-2 in 2024 will take place with people on board.
The first phase of the SLS flight after starting will last a little more than eight minutes. The upper step of the rocket with the Ship “Orion” will reach a high -elliptical orbit. Then the accelerated block will have to make an orbital round, disperse Orion and direct it towards the moon. Two hours and five minutes after the launch, a communication session is planned, during which it will be confirmed that the ship is on the correct trajectory and moves in space at a speed of 30,000 km/h. Then he must go into lunar orbit. At the end, Orion will return to the ground and will lead to the ocean off the coast of San Diego in California on October 11th