orion travel time to moon

Artemis mission: How you can track Orion's trip to the moon in real time

After several failed attempts, NASA has finally launched the first phase of the Artemis mission . 

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In this phase, the unmanned Orion spacecraft will take a trip around the moon and back– and you can track its journey in real time. 

By using the Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW), anyone with internet access can see where Orion is in space. 

The real-time tracker will also show trip information such as mission elapsed time, velocity and spacecraft distance from the Earth and moon. 

Also: What is Artemis? Everything you need to know about NASA's new moon mission

"This is a really powerful way to engage with the mission and understand the scope of what NASA is trying to accomplish with Artemis I," said Seth Lambert, the Orion programmer who created AROW.

You can access AROW at any time by simply visiting the website or by following Orion Spacecraft's Twitter account where you will get updates on travel status. The Twitter account will also provide vectors for Orion's location that will pinpoint exactly where Orion is located in space. 

Mission Time: 0 days, 10 hrs, 5 min Orion is 61,078 miles from Earth, 201,852 miles from the Moon, cruising at 5,281 miles per hour. P: (-64593, -7035, 2841) V: (-4918, -1844, -547) O: 63º, 45.4º, 350.5º What's this? https://t.co/voR4yGy2mg #TrackArtemis pic.twitter.com/ZVIgaJ1WfY — Orion Spacecraft (@NASA_Orion) November 16, 2022

On the website, users also have the option to download trajectory data from the flight, called an ephemeris, which you can use to track Orion with your own spaceflight software application or telescope. The data can be used to create physics models, animations, visualizations and other projects of that nature, according to NASA .

"Knowing what the spacecraft is doing during the mission is already cool, but now that Orion's data can be visualized in all these different ways, it will be interesting to see what creative projects others come up with," said Richard Garodnick, an engineer on the mission control center system engineering and development team at Johnson.

The Orion spacecraft will travel 40,000 miles beyond the moon during Artemis I with the goal of testing NASA's deep-space exploration systems, making sure the agency is ready to send astronauts to the moon and beyond. The Artemis mission will culminate with landing the first woman and person of color on the moon in the third phase of the mission. 

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How long does it take to get to the moon? Nasa Artemis 1 mission schedule and the moon’s distance from earth

If successful it will break the record for the longest flight without docking at a space station.

Nasa’s Artemis 1 mission has successfully launched.

It will send the uncrewed Orion spacecraft to the moon and back, testing key systems and safety ahead of the crewed mission.

The aim is to get astronauts on the moon by 2024, which will be the first time humans have left the earth’s orbit since 1972.

How long does it take to get to the moon?

The average distance to the moon is 382,500km, and according to Nasa , rockets using current propulsion systems take between 2.5 and four days to arrive at the moon.

This being said, the Artemis mission will spend a great deal longer in space as it has other tasks to complete on the dark side of the moon and beyond.

More from News

Artemis 1 mission schedule

Artemis I launched of the SLS on Wednesday 16 November.

The crewless test mission will send the Orion spacecraft to the moon and back carrying dummies designed to mimic human tissue. A crewed mission is set for 2024.

The 1.3 million mile journey is expected to last 42 days, three hours and 20 minutes. If successful it will break the record for the longest flight without docking at a space station.

The spacecraft will also make a close pass of the lunar surface. Along the way around the moon, Nasa will perform two fly-bys measuring at 62 miles above the rocky surface.

Dr Bhavya Lal, Nasa’s associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy, said that ultimately the agency wanted to see human settlements “throughout the solar system”.

“The point is that we don’t stop when we have gone to Mars,” she told the Telegraph . “By the time we have thriving settlements on Mars, we probably have enough technology that we can push deeper into space.

“I think that idea is simply that we are not stopping. Our long term strategic visions to have a sustained presence on the Moon, Mars and throughout the Solar System.”

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Artemis i travel essentials: the ultimate personal tour guide for your trip to the moon.

Michael Bock

1.) get your passport and look up your boarding pass , 2.) do a little research , 3.) pack for your trip , 4.) check out your accommodations , 5.) plot your route , 6.) before you leave… .

The Moon. Earth’s most famous natural satellite … and your new travel destination. 

From its wide vistas and secluded craters, to its unbeatable views of our own planet, visiting the Moon is a must-see for every well-seasoned space traveler’s bucket list. Lunar adventures have been quite popular among uncrewed spacecraft in recent years, but it’s been a generation since humans have set foot on the lunar surface. That is changing with NASA’s Artemis missions. 

This year, NASA is embarking on an exciting journey to the Moon—and we’re inviting you to come along*. 

Artemis I  is an uncrewed flight test that will lay the foundation for a sustained long-term presence on and around the Moon. Launching this summer, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and integrated Orion spacecraft will help us get a feel for what astronauts will experience on future flights. Artemis I is an important step in NASA’s long-term goals for space exploration, paving the way for us to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, explore more of the lunar surface than ever before — and prepare to travel on to Mars.  

This handy travel guide is designed to help everyone from space travel rookies to seasoned galactic explorers figure out exactly what to see, what to bring, and how to get ready as we return to the Moon.  

Before you book your ticket, make you sure you get your Artemis passport ready! Join the virtual guest list for Artemis launches and receive a special Artemis I virtual guest passport and stamp after launch along with mission updates and interactive opportunities. Over 300,000+ virtual guests from around the world have already joined! 

If you were one of the 3 million people who submitted your name to be flown around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, you can look up your boarding pass and print or download it at your leisure. If you didn’t submit your name, don’t worry — you can still download and fill out a blank boarding pass!

Since you’re headed to the Moon, here is your opportunity to check out images and content about the Moon and then create your own! Submit your #NASAMoonSnap and we will be featuring some entries during the launch broadcast or on NASA’s social media.  

Artemis I will blast off from NASA’s spaceport at Kennedy Space Center and fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown. Watch a preview of your flight to get the highlights of the mission. 

You’ve got your papers sorted — now it’s time to put together your packing list ! Take a look at what others have decided they would pack for the Moon, including astronauts , NASA photographers , and other creative people like you !  

Grab some reading materials. While you’re sure to get some incredible window views as the Orion spacecraft travels thousands of miles beyond the Moon, you’ll likely want some entertainment during the 4-6 week mission. If you’re looking for some reading material, check the First Woman graphic novel, the You Are Going children’s book, and the Moonikin webcomic . 

And set a playlist.  No trip is complete without a playlist! Check out the NASA Moon Tunes playlist put together by Third Rock Radio and compiled from over a million votes all around the world. And if podcasts are more your speed, check out this curated Artemis podcast playlist on Soundcloud. 

You’ll be flying in comfort aboard Orion, the spacecraft that will take astronauts to the Moon on future Artemis missions. Among the science, research equipment, and mementos you’ll be travelling with are Commander Moonikin Campos, Helga, and Zohar. These human-bodied manikins are gathering important data for future missions— read their story here . 

Following along at home? You can decorate the walls of your own ‘crew cabin’ with our beautiful travel destination posters : 

Download Artemis: Visionary (8.07 MB) | Download Artemis: Courageous (7.31 MB) | Download Artemis: Galvanizing (8.98 MB)

Before heading out, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with your route . That’s why we’ve put together a flight map with important milestones you’ll reach on your trip beyond the Moon and back. 

Our travel itinerary will bring us within about 60 miles of the Moon’s surface—a prime opportunity for sightseeing.  Learn more about your destination   on our Moon site .  

Can’t wait to see the SLS rocket on the launch pad? Picture it in your own backyard! Try out our Snapchat AR Lens: Backyard Rocket and see how the launch would appear from the mission control room at Kennedy Space Center. 

And know where to track your flight . Once you’re on your way to join the Artemis I mission, you can follow along with telemetry updates and see exactly where Orion is every step of the journey.

However you choose to follow along our journey, we’re glad to have you with us.  Be sure to follow @NASAArtemis on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram , or subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates as we prepare for our next great era of discovery. 

* DISCLAIMER: As much as we’d like to bring everyone aboard Orion for a flight around the Moon, Artemis I is an uncrewed mission. So please enjoy the next best thing: free and fun activities that you can participate in from the comfort of your own home. 

NASA's Orion capsule makes its closest approach to moon

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Artemis I Distant Retrograde Orbit: NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Will Travel 40,000 Miles Beyond the Moon

By NASA November 16, 2022

Illustration of the Orion spacecraft flying around the Moon. Credit: NASA

This morning at 1:47 a.m. EST , NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) launched the agency’s Orion spacecraft on its way to the Moon as part of the Artemis I mission. 

During this mission, which will pave the way for missions with astronauts, NASA ’s Orion spacecraft will journey thousands of miles beyond the Moon in what is called a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) to evaluate the spacecraft’s capabilities. DRO provides a highly stable orbit where little fuel is required to stay for an extended trip in deep space to put Orion’s systems to the test in an environment far from Earth.

“Artemis I is a true stress test of the Orion spacecraft in the deep space environment,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis Mission Manager. “Without crew aboard the first mission, DRO allows Orion to spend more time in deep space for a rigorous mission to ensure spacecraft systems, like guidance, navigation, communication, power, thermal control, and others are ready to keep astronauts safe on future crewed missions.”

The orbit is “distant” in the sense that it’s at a high altitude from the surface of the Moon, and it’s “retrograde” because Orion will travel around the Moon opposite the direction the Moon travels around Earth. Orion will travel about 240,000 miles from Earth to the Moon, then about 40,000 miles beyond the Moon at its farthest point while flying in DRO.

DRO is highly stable because of its interactions with two points of the planet-moon system where objects tend to stay put, balanced between the gravitational pull of two large masses – in this case the Earth and Moon – which allows a spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption and remain in position while traveling around the Moon.

After the spacecraft gets its big push toward the Moon from the SLS rocket’s upper stage engine, Orion’s service module , built by ESA ( European Space Agency ), will provide the propulsion to get to DRO. Using the DRO for Artemis I requires the use of four major targeting navigational burns – two close and two far away from the Moon – to enter and exit the orbit. Orion will fly to its closest lunar approach about 60 miles above the surface of the Moon, then rely on the Moon’s gravitational force together with a propulsive burn – known as the outbound powered flyby – to direct the spacecraft toward DRO where Orion performs a second propulsive burn to enter DRO and stabilize in the orbit.

After the SLS rocket upper stage engine fires to put Orion on course for the Moon, Orion will use a combination of propulsion from the service module and a flyby of the Moon for a gravity assist to push toward distant retrograde orbit (DRO). To exit DRO, Orion will again rely on a combination of propulsive burns and a return flyby to bring Orion back to Earth. Credit: NASA

“Orion will spend about 6 to 19 days in DRO to collect data and allow mission controllers to assess the performance of the spacecraft,” said Nujoud Merancy, chief of the Exploration Mission Planning Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The exact duration of Orion’s stay in DRO is determined by when it launches due to orbital mechanics.”

For its return trip to Earth, Orion will perform a departure burn from DRO to direct itself to another close flyby within about 60 miles of the Moon’s surface. Another engine burn by the service module, known as the return powered flyby burn, and gravity assist from the Moon itself will slingshot Orion on a trajectory back home where the Earth will accelerate Orion to a speed of about 25,000 mph (40,000 km/h). This incredible speed will produce temperatures of approximately 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,750 degrees Celsius ) – or about half the surface of the Sun – on the crew module during atmospheric entry, providing an opportunity to demonstrate Orion’s heat shield and parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA first studied the DRO to support the proposed Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) which paralleled early SLS and Orion development. The plan for ARM was to capture a near Earth asteroid and redirect it to a lunar DRO. Because of the stability of the orbit, the asteroid could stay there for hundreds of years for research purposes without the need to use propulsion to maintain its orbit.

“NASA’s knowledge of DRO evolved out of many prior human spaceflight architecture studies,” said Merancy. “As a result of studies for ARM, NASA’s mission planners developed a strong knowledge base of the orbit and determined DRO could meet the objectives for Artemis I, so mission planners opted to capitalize on the studies and knowledge of it as a mission destination.”

With Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and establish long-term exploration in preparation for missions to Mars . SLS and Orion, along with the commercial human landing system and the Gateway that will orbit the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.

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5 comments on "artemis i distant retrograde orbit: nasa’s orion spacecraft will travel 40,000 miles beyond the moon".

It’s 2022 and we still cant run doggie drills in space, darn. Praise the laser launch safety boffins, I guess. (If you wanted the energy to run the drill without launching 4 strapped propellant vehicles together.) Where’s my big book of lunar relay vehicles, anyway?

What a load of rubbish !

No man has ever been to the moon and no one will. The distance is huge and the temperatures encountered are not for humans not even for an experienced cook. As for the oxygen needed for the entire duration of the trip you’d have to be a fish or scuba dive on the moon.

It doesn’t matter what color/ sex you are if you can do this job, I will support you

Looks like the bots are trying to leave commons again. Hey how about you turn that camera towards earth…. should have been some pretty impressive views of our home from about 40,000 miles. how come from 80,000 your shot looks exactly like previous ones from the moon 50 years ago? lol too funny nasa

Hey, human primates can fly around the moon, alright. Why wouldn’t they design Orion more like the space shuttle? It’s like we are going backwards.

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Orion's journey to moon: Track Artemis I capsule in real time

Artemis 1 mission: closer look at orion spacecraft elements.

The Artemis 1 moon rocket is comprised of the Space Launch System (SLS), which is the super heavy-lift launch vehicle, and the Orion spacecraft, which contains three main elements including the capsule that will carry astronauts into space.

Half a day after launching from Kennedy Space Center , NASA's Orion spacecraft was more than 60,000 miles away from Earth, sending back the first images of our home planet.

Orion launched Wednesday on the Space Launch System rocket at 1:47 a.m. Eastern, beginning its nearly 26-day test flight, known as the Artemis 1 mission, around the moon.

The spacecraft is already sending back the first breathtaking views of our planet using a series of cameras that act as the "eyes" of Orion. 

A camera took the view below from Orion's solar array. Redwire Space Chief Engineer and Deep Space Systems founder Steve Bailey told FOX Weather earlier this year the solar arrays are like "big selfie sticks" for Orion.

Only half a day into its journey, Orion is already sending back breathtaking views of our planet. [Credit: NASA]

More Artemis I coverage

• How SLS, NASA's new mega moon rocket, compares to Apollo-era Saturn V
• What does the Artemis symbol mean?
• What is NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission going to do?
• Artemis I vs Apollo 11: Why has it taken NASA so long to return to the moon?
• These recycled space shuttle parts are now powering Artemis I to space

Meanwhile, another camera inside Orion showed the "moonikin" Campos in the commander's seat, wearing an Orion survival system suit. Campos is equipped with sensors that will help NASA gather data for future flights with astronauts. 

Artemis I mission timeline

Not even a day into its spaceflight, NASA's Orion team has been busy, and several mission milestones are coming up.

Propelled by the European service module, Orion is moving at more than 5,000 mph, and its outbound journey to the moon will take several days. 

Engineers will use a series of engine thrusts to ensure the spacecraft is positioned toward its lunar destination. A trans-lunar injection burn happened about an hour after Orion launched from Kennedy Space Center, setting the spacecraft on its correct course toward the moon.

Orion brought along hitchhikers in the form of 10 tiny spacecraft that will be deployed at different points in the spaceflight to the moon. A total of 10 CubeSats will be deployed from Orion's stage adapter , a ring that attaches to the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). 

According to NASA, each tiny satellite designed by international, industry and university partners will gather data to help future moon missions and Mars exploration. The European Space Agency, Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) are among the international payloads flying with Orion. 

On Monday, Nov. 21, Orion will complete an outbound flyby power burn for its closest approach to the moon.

The burn begins around 7:43 a.m. Eastern and the closest approach to the moon happens around 8 a.m. Eastern. NASA plans to air live coverage of the event on NASA TV and online.

Orion will travel about 40,000 miles beyond the moon's far side, farther than any human-rated spacecraft. This lunar orbit is known as the distance retrograde orbit or DRO. 

NASA's Artemis 1 spacecraft will orbit the moon for about six days before beginning the trip back to Earth.

How to follow the Artemis 1 mission

NASA launched a website tracking Orion's whereabouts that shows how fast it's traveling, the position of the spacecraft and the distance to the moon and Earth.

The space agency plans to regularly release video recaps and post daily updates on the agency's Artemis blog throughout the spaceflight.

NASA has several dedicated Twitter accounts providing updates on Orion and the Artemis 1 test flight, including NASA Orion and NASA Artemis . The NASA Moon Twitter handle will also share images and science information throughout the journey. 

The Artemis 1 test flight will culminate after 25.5 days when Orion splashes down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Dec. 11. 

TRACK ARTEMIS I ORION SPACECRAFT IN REAL TIME

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• 12 December 2022

NASA’s Orion Moon capsule splashes down! Here’s what’s next

• Alexandra Witze

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NASA’s Orion capsule splashed down safely off the coast of Mexico on 11 December, bringing a close to the first test flight of a new spaceship designed to carry people back to the Moon . Researchers are excited to download data from the successful 25-day flight to the Moon and back, known as Artemis I.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-04411-y

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Epic Time-Lapse Of Artemis 1's Orion Spacecraft Captuing Earth and Moon

Posted: August 8, 2024 | Last updated: August 8, 2024

The Earth and moon are within view of NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft on Nov. 28. 2022. The Earth is over 260,000 miles away (418,000 km) in this view. Credit: NASA | time-lapsed by Space.com's [Steve Spaleta](https://twitter.com/stevespaleta) Music: A Rising Sun by Alan Ellis / courtesy of <a href="http://www.epidemicsound.com">http://www.epidemicsound.com</a>

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• How Long Does it Take To Get to the Moon?

For us to fully grasp how long it takes to get to the Moon, it is vital to understand the distance between the Moon and the Earth. The average distance between the Moon and the Earth is 238,857 miles. The figures give the average distance because different variables make the distance between the Earth and the Moon to differ from one phase to another, hence affecting how long it takes to get to the Moon. The Moon naturally orbits the Earth in an elliptical path, because of this, sometimes Moon is closer or farther away from Earth, which in turn greatly affects how long it may take to get to the Moon. Different countries have organized missions and traveled to the Moon and the time taken for all the missions have varied considerably.

Unmanned Missions

These are endeavors to the Moon without the physical presence of people onboard to control the movements of the spacecraft. One of the slowest yet advanced missions to the Moon was by the ESA’s SMART-1 which took the longest time ever recorded of one year, one month and two weeks using an ion-propelled engine. The second unmanned mission was the Chang’e-1 which took five days. Chang’e-2 followed on October 1st, 2010 taking four days and 16 hours before arriving in lunar orbit. The next mission launch took place at the end of 2013 becoming the fastest Change mission arriving in the lunar orbit after only four days and 12 hours and 23 minutes.

Manned Missions

With the presence of people onboard, manned missions have been taking a relatively short time to reach the Moon from the Earth's surface. The Apollo mission is the only Moon mission that was manned with renowned astronauts being the first beings to ever set foot on the lunar surface. The Apollo 11 mission took 51 hours and 49 minutes to arrive on the lunar surface back on July 19th, 1969, hence becoming the fastest spacecraft mission to the Moon that had astronauts who then took 1,376 minutes to return.

Fastest Recorded Missions to Date

NASA’s New Horizons Pluto mission was the fastest ever mission that went past the Moon. With a speedy launch that utilized the advanced technological systems, it took the New Horizon 515 minutes to arrive on the lunar surface before venturing on to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. A mission was in 2014 undertaken using a device called ‘Orion Capsule.' It managed to reach different orbits of the Earth and return in 270 minutes breaking significant records. Through calculations, this showed that the Orion mission could reach the lunar in approximately 12 hours after covering an average distance of 238,857 miles. As plans are underway for the creation of space tourism in future, taking into consideration how long it will take to reach the Moon is vital and the type of technologies that will be utilized to make the journey and experience enjoyable and safe.

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How long does it take to travel to the Moon?

Last Updated: November 23, 2022

Humans have always been fascinated by the prospect of visiting the Moon – our closest celestial neighbor, and the first stepping stone in the exploration of the solar system. Even with the use of modern technology and advanced propulsion systems, reaching the Moon remains a very difficult and very expensive endeavour.

So how long does it take to get to the Moon? The short answer is that it takes an average of 3 days to reach the Moon. 

Between 1969 and 1972, NASA sent 18 astronauts to the Moon as part of the Apollo space program . In addition, five nations and two political unions have successfully landed unmanned spacecraft on the lunar surface or placed them into lunar orbit.

The last Moon landing occurred almost 40 years ago! In fact, humans have not set foot on the lunar ground since December 14, 1972. That being said, NASA’s new “Artemis” mission is generating a great deal of public interest. The next Moon landing is scheduled for 2024!

So, what are the factors that can influence the duration of this incredible journey? Let’s dive in! Or should I say, let’s take off?

Cargo load is one of the many factors that can influence the time it takes to travel to the Moon.

Does the Moon's orbit affect the time it takes to get there?

We know that the Moon is located at an average distance of 238,855 miles from Earth. However, the trajectory of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical, with one side closer to the Earth than the other and an average eccentricity of 0.0549.

Since its path is not perfectly circular, there is a moment when the Moon is as close as possible to the Earth (lunar perigee) at 221,500 miles, and another moment when it is as far away as possible (lunar apogee) at 252,700 miles.

While the distance between the Moon and Earth is an important factor to consider when planning a spacecraft’s trajectory, other considerations come into play regarding the duration of the flight to the Moon.

Related reading : How Far Away is The Moon From Earth Right Now?

The duration of a journey to the Moon varies according to the following factors:

• The chosen itinerary;
• The selected type of propulsion system ;
• The presence or the absence of crew members aboard the spacecraft;
• Whether the spacecraft is scheduled to land on the surface, orbit around the Moon, or just fly by the Moon while heading towards a more distant target.

For example, if the space probe “New Horizons” was travelling at its maximum speed of 36,400 mph while the Moon is at perigee (221,500 miles), the probe would reach the Moon in only 6 hours and 15 minutes! If the Moon was at apogee (252,700 miles), the space probe would take about 6 hours and 50 minutes to pass by the Moon.

How long does it take to fly a manned spacecraft to the moon?

The most popular lunar mission is undoubtedly Apollo 11, during which the astronauts Neil Amstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins travelled to the Moon for the first time. After blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969, the astronauts landed on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, and the journey took 75 hours and 49 minutes. 

To date, the Apollo 8 mission still holds the record for the shortest travel time ever achieved by a spacecraft carrying astronauts on board (69 hours et 8 minutes). In total, NASA conducted 6 lunar landings during the Apollo program.

Although other countries have conducted orbital placements as well as landings of unmanned spacecraft, the United States remains to this day the only country to have successfully landed astronauts on the Lunar surface.

As you can see in the table below, the time taken to reach the Moon is different for each Apollo mission. There are several explanations for this:

• The purpose of some missions was only to orbit the Moon rather than land on it.
• NASA was constantly researching and testing for the best possible trajectory.
• Some missions involved transporting very heavy equipment, such as the lunar rover.

The Apollo 12 mission arrived on the Moon after a voyage that took three and a half days.

How long does it take to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon?

Even for unmanned space probes, there is no such thing as a consistent travel time… It all depends on whether the spacecraft is just passing by the Moon, whether it is intended to be placed into orbit or to land on the surface. New Horizons holds the record for the shortest trip to the Moon: 8 hours and 35 minutes! 

The record for the longest journey to the Moon is held by SMART-1, a space probe engineered by the European Space Agency: it took a full year to reach the Moon! Although SMART-1 is the slowest spacecraft to ever reach the Moon, it remains the most fuel-efficient spacecraft in history.

How long did it take Artemis 1 to reach the Moon?

Artemis 1 was launched on November 16 2022, at 6:47 am GMT (1:47 EST). This flight was the first in a series of missions planned by NASA as part of its Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. The launch vehicle used for the mission was the SLS (Space Launch System), carrying the Orion spacecraft into space.

After a relatively smooth journey, Orion officially entered lunar orbit on November 21, at 7:57 am ET (12:57 UTC). In total, Artemis took 5 days, 1 hour, and 10 minutes to travel from Earth to the Moon. It is not the quickest flight we’ve seen, but the main goals were:

• Test the flight systems
• Test the new technology that was developed for the mission
• Provide data on how the SLS performed, as well as insights into the health of Orion’s systems and overall performance.
• Prepare for crewed missions starting next year.

Related Article: How Much of Space Have We Explored So Far?

In summary, the time it takes to reach the Moon is about 3 days on average for manned spacecraft. On the other hand, for unmanned spacecraft, the travel time can vary considerably depending on the mission objectives. They usually reach their destination much faster.

I eagerly look forward to the launch of the next lunar mission scheduled for 2024.  Mankind will return to the lunar surface for the first time in 40 years! And this time, a woman will be part of the crew! How amazing!

Is it possible that 40 years of technological progress will significantly reduce the time it takes to reach the Moon? Perhaps the new private space companies, such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, will beat all previous records? We’ll find out the answer in a few years…!

Written by Tom Urbain

I’ve been fascinated by space and astronomy from a very young age. When I’m not watching space-themed documentaries, movies or TV series, I spend most of my free time in my backyard admiring the planets and galaxies with my telescope.

Explore more space travel stories 🚀

This moon-related story is part of our collection of astronomy articles . If this piece sparked your interest, you’re sure to enjoy the fascinating insights offered in our subsequent articles.

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To the moon and back: Astronauts get 1st look at Artemis II craft ahead of lunar mission

The first lunar mission in a half-century, four nasa astronauts are set to take a 10-day, 600,000-mile trip to the moon and back.

The four Artemis II crew members who will be the first astronauts the United States has sent to the moon in a half-century got their first glimpse this week of the spacecraft that will take them there.

The imposing cone-shaped Orion capsule loomed on Tuesday inside a bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the crew inspected the craft and met the men and women charged with preparing it for spaceflight. In about a year's time, the crew of three Americans and one Canadian hope to board the capsule that will take them on a 10-day journey around the moon.

"We're fired up," astronaut Reid Wiseman said after checking out the capsule. "It's a great day yesterday when you walk around the corner at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout facility and there's your spacecraft that you're going to ride in."

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What is the mission of Artemis II?

The venture will be the first crewed lunar mission in decades and serves as a catalyst for future moon exploration, according to NASA.

When the spacecraft launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida, it will take the four astronauts on a journey spanning 600,000 miles to the moon and back.

The main purpose of the mission is to test the capabilities of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and a crewed Orion spacecraft needed for deep space exploration ahead of Artemis III . That later mission is slated for launch in 2025 and would put two astronauts on the surface of the moon for the first time since the last Apollo mission in 1972. 

"There's a renewed interest in the moon," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Tuesday before assembled news media. "The fact that the crew has seen their spacecraft now, this is another major step of us going back to the moon."

The Artemis III crew is intended to land at the moon's south polar region, where they will stay for about one week. Ultimately, NASA aims to establish a permanent human presence on and around the moon as it prepares for future missions to Mars.

Though the names of the crew members for Artemis III have not been revealed, NASA has said they will be the first woman and first person of color to land on the moon.

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When will Artemis II launch?

The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch in November 2024, but NASA has plenty of work ahead before that happens — and any hiccups or unforeseen obstacles could delay it.

Last year, NASA performed a 26-day test flight of the Orion spacecraft ending Dec. 11 with no one aboard for its Artemis I mission. Orion is the only spacecraft capable of returning crews to Earth at lunar-reentry velocities, and NASA wanted to test its heat shield under extreme reentry conditions.

The spacecraft is undergoing acoustic testing prior to integration with its service module, the next major step in the assembly process, NASA said Tuesday.

The Artemis III also saw a setback in April when Elon Musk's SpaceX  Starship rocket exploded  about four minutes after launch, breaking apart in a fiery explosion over the Gulf of Mexico. However, Musk still considered the mission a success since the main goal was for the rocket's engines to ignite and for the vehicle to clear the tower.

Anything else, SpaceX said at the time, meant extra data for engineers to review .

In 2021, NASA  awarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to develop the first commercial human lander that will ferry the two American astronauts from orbit to the lunar surface.

Luna-25: NASA said its orbiter likely found the crash site of Russia's failed Luna-25 moon mission

The month after the Starship explosion, NASA announced that it had tapped Blue Origin as the second company to develop a  human lunar lander system  for Artemis missions. Owned and personally funded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin was selected to deliver astronauts to the lunar surface for the space agency's Artemis V mission, slated for no earlier than 2029.

In the meantime, the Artemis II crew has been training for the mission and last month visited Naval Base San Diego ahead of a recovery test in the Pacific Ocean. The July 19 test was meant to ensure NASA and Department of Defense personnel will be prepared to safely recover the four astronauts and their Orion spacecraft when they splash down upon return to Earth.

Meet the astronauts of Artemis II

Announced in April , the crew consists of three Americans and one Canadian from the Canadian Space Agency . Among them is the first woman and first African American assigned to a lunar mission.

• Reid Wiseman : Named mission commander of Artemis II, Wiseman previously worked on the International Space Station in 2014, where he and his crew set a milestone for station science by completing a record 82 hours of research in a single week. Wiseman has also served as Chief of NASA Astronauts.
• Victor Glover : Glover will pilot the Artemis II mission after logging 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft. He most recently served as pilot and second-in-command on the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon, named Resilience.
• Christina Hammock Koch : A mission specialist on Artemis II, Koch served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station and made waves in the first all-woman spacewalk. Koch also holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days.
• Jeremy Hansen : A member of the Canadian Space Agency, Hansen is a former fighter pilot and works with NASA in training astronauts. He'll serve as a mission specialist on Artemis II.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected].

WE ARE GOING

Forward to the moon.

“ President Donald Trump has asked NASA to accelerate our plans to return to the Moon and to land humans on the surface again by 2024. We will go with innovative new technologies and systems to explore more locations across the surface than was ever thought possible. This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay. And then we will use what we learn on the Moon to take the next giant leap - sending astronauts to Mars ” —NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

WHY ARE WE GOING?

NASA’s science, technology and human exploration activities touch every aspect of our lives here on Earth and we want to extend our presence to the farthest corners of the universe. In doing so, we will maintain America’s leadership in space.

Inspiration ▾

Inspiration for generations to come.

NASA’s Apollo Program was a stunning demonstration of the United States’ strength of will and its economic, political and technological power – a feat that inspired generations of young people. It was fuel to the fire of the American consciousness that brought on a revolution, not only in science and technology, but also in our passion for exploration and discovery.

Just as Apollo inspired a generation 50 years ago, NASA continues to inspire with feats of science and exploration today. If we bring together the capabilities and resources of our international and commercial partners to take us forward to the Moon and on to Mars, we will demonstrate to people around the world the power of a unified purpose. It will serve as an unparalleled and inspiring example of what humanity can do when it comes together to achieve a common goal for the common good.

Science ▾

More missions, more science.

The Moon is a treasure chest of science. The lunar samples returned during the Apollo Program dramatically changed our view of the solar system. Yet, we are just scratching the surface of knowledge about the Moon. We believe the poles of the Moon hold millions of tons of water ice. That ice represents power. It represents fuel. It represents science. The farther humans venture into space, the more important it becomes to manufacture materials and products with local resources. We know the Moon can tell us more about our own planet, and even our own sun. There is so much more to learn – knowledge we can acquire with a sustained human and robotic presence on the Moon.

Exploration ▾

Exploration for all humanity.

Exploration is in the DNA of our species – the desire to discover and inhabit distant worlds, whether across Earthly oceans or vast regions of space. It also is critical to the continuation of our species. Humanity must build a path to an Earth-independent existence.

Exploration of the Moon and Mars is intertwined. Our sustainable Moon to Mars exploration approach is reusable and repeatable. Over the next decade, we will build an open exploration architecture with as many capabilities that can be replicated as possible for missions to Mars. The Moon is a testbed for Mars. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate new technologies that could help build self-sustaining outposts off Earth.

Economy ▾

A new commercial market in deep space.

The next revolution will happen in space – a space economy built on mining, tourism, and scientific research that will power and empower future generations. Our investments in revolutionary, American-made technologies today fuel tomorrow’s innovation and space economy.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?

We're going forward to the moon to stay.

More than 45 years since we last set foot on the Moon, our president has renewed the nation’s focus on expanding humanity’s presence beyond Earth. Space Policy Directive-1 provides the direction for NASA to organize more effectively government, commercial and international efforts to develop a permanent presence off Earth that generates new markets and opportunities, both scientific and economic.

• We are going quickly and sustainably with a reusable architecture.
• We are going with commercial and international partners to explore faster and explore more together.
• We will bring new knowledge and opportunities.
• We will use the resources of the Moon to enable farther exploration.
• We will prove out the technologies that will take us to Mars and beyond.

What is Artemis ?

She was the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology. Now, she personifies our path to the Moon as the name of NASA's program to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024, including the first woman and the next man. When they land, our American astronauts will step foot where no human has ever been before: the Moon’s South Pole.

Working with U.S. companies and international partners, NASA will push the boundaries of human exploration forward to the Moon for this program. As a result of Artemis , NASA will be able to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028 to uncover new scientific discoveries, demonstrate new technological advancements, and lay the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy.

With our goal of sending humans to Mars, Artemis is the first step to begin this next era of exploration.

HOW ARE WE GETTING THERE?

Forward to the Moon: NASA's Strategic Plan for Lunar Exploration (May 23, 2019) (9 MB PDF)

ORION SPACECRAFT

NASA is building a spacecraft to take astronauts to deep space that will usher in a new era of space exploration.

Orion will take us farther than we’ve gone before, and dock with the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. The spacecraft will carry up to four crew members and is designed to support astronauts traveling hundreds of thousands of miles from home, where getting back to Earth takes hours rather than days.

Both distance and duration demand Orion to have systems that can reliably operate far from home, be capable of keeping astronauts alive in case of emergencies and still be light enough that a rocket can launch it.

A Series of Challenging Missions

NASA will launch Orion on the agency’s powerful rocket, the Space Launch System, from a modernized spaceport at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On the first integrated mission, known as Artemis I, an uncrewed Orion will venture thousands of miles beyond the Moon over the course of about three weeks. A series of increasingly challenging missions with crew will follow including a test flight around the Moon before operational missions to the Gateway.

SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM NASA’s Space Launch System, or SLS, is a powerful, advanced rocket for a new era of human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. With unprecedented power capabilities, SLS will launch astronauts aboard the agency’s Orion spacecraft on missions to explore deep space. SLS is designed to safely send humans to deep space and can support a variety of complex missions. It will also open new possibilities for payloads, including robotic scientific missions to places like Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space than any other rocket. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and large cargo to the Moon on a single mission. SLS is America’s rocket with more than 1,000 companies from across the U.S. and every NASA center supporting its development. How much can SLS carry into space? ▾ The initial configuration of SLS can send more than 26 metric tons (57,000 pounds) to the Moon, and future upgrades will enable the rocket to send at least 45 metric tons (99,000 pounds). Towering a staggering 322 feet tall, taller than the Statue of Liberty, SLS will weigh 5.75 million pounds and produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, 15 percent more thrust than the Saturn V rocket. How powerful are the two SLS boosters? ▾ The SLS booster is the largest, most powerful solid propellant booster ever built for flight. Standing 17 stories tall and burning approximately six tons of propellant every second, each booster produces 3,600,000 pounds of thrust – greater than 14 four-engine Boeing 747’s at full take-off power. What powers the SLS core stage. ▾ The SLS core stage is powered by four RS-25 engines. Each RS-25 engine is about the size of a compact car and weighs about 8,000 pounds. The core stage towers more than 200 feet tall and holds 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen. --> LUNAR OUTPOST

The gateway.

NASA and its partners are designing and developing a small spaceship in orbit around the Moon for astronauts, science and technology demonstrations known as the Gateway. Located about 250,000 miles from Earth, the Gateway will enable access to the entire surface of the Moon and provide new opportunities in deep space for exploration.

Sustainable Exploration

This new era of sustainable human exploration requires advanced technologies that are efficient, affordable and reliable. Solar electric propulsion offers these benefits and is a key technology for the Gateway. The first element to launch to space will be the power and propulsion element in 2022. This alternative propulsion system will enrich exploration at the Moon by enabling orbit transfers and reusable space tugs to and from the lunar surface.

ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON

A new approach.

Beginning with a series of small commercial delivery missions, we will use new tools and technology demonstrations to conduct more science across the surface of the Moon, and exploit the resources of our nearest neighbor ahead of a human return.

With some of humanity’s most advanced technologies, future astronauts will stay longer on the surface of the Moon, explore more of the Moon than ever imagined, and build a sustainable presence.

• A new class of power systems will support future human outposts.
• Autonomous rovers and robots will move around the surface.
• We will print, manufacture and build as much as we can with materials found on the Moon.

Surface Missions

Working with American companies and leveraging the Gateway, NASA recently proposed designing and developing a new reusable human lunar landing system. The elements of this system would include descent, transfer, refueling, ascent and surface suit capabilities. Using them, NASA planned to send astronauts to the surface of the Moon in the next decade.

Following a recommendation from the National Space Council, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence asked NASA to accelerate lunar exploration plans and put Americans back on the Moon by 2024, leading to a sustained presence on and around the Moon. The agency will factor this recommendation into its planned human lunar landing studies with American companies.

WHEN ARE WE GOING?

2017 – our mission.

Space Policy Directive-1 calls for NASA to “lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities.” With this direction from the president, NASA will put astronauts on the Moon in the next decade, and lay the foundation for human exploration of Mars.

2019 – To the Moon by 2024

On March 26, 2019, President Trump directed NASA to land the first American woman and next American man on the lunar South Pole in the next five years. NASA accepted this bold challenge, and is working to accelerate technology and hardware development to move forward to the Moon, with humans on the surface by 2024.

2019 – Commercial Moon Deliveries

Through Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, NASA is partnering with nine American companies to send new science instruments and technologies to the Moon ahead of a human return. NASA plans to issue its first task order for payload delivery services to the lunar surface in May, and the first delivery could happen by late 2019 if commercial landers are ready. NASA will order more deliveries to the Moon as needed over the next decade

2020 – Artemis 1

NASA is targeting 2020 for the launch of its powerful Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft together for the first time from a modernized Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This uncrewed flight test, known as Artemis 1, will demonstrate our capability to send crew spaceship to lunar orbit ahead of a return to the surface of the Moon. After launch, SLS will also deploy a number of CubeSats to perform experiments and technology demonstrations.

2022 – Artemis 2

NASA is targeting 2022 to test its powerful Space Launch System with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Launching again from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Artemis 2 will fly a different path than the first test flight, and will take a crew around the Moon for the first time in fifty years. This first mission with astronauts will mark a significant step forward for regular missions with crew to lunar orbit, and ultimately on the surface of the Moon and beyond.

2022 – First Gateway Element

The power and propulsion element for the Gateway will launch on a private rocket by December 2022, and provide a one-year demonstration in space. Using advanced solar electric propulsion, this first module of the Gateway will provide power, propulsion and communications for the entire spaceship as its assembled and operated.

2023 – Science & Exploration Rover

NASA is working with commercial industry to develop mobility platforms, such as rovers, to carry science instruments and look for and sample water-ice (volatile) deposits. Landing a rover in 2023 on the Moon will be the beginning of better understanding the nature of lunar volatiles and could lead to new scientific discoveries. It will also provide us knowledge as to how we can use the water-ice for fuel, oxygen and drinking water for human exploration missions to lunar surface.

2023 – Second Gateway Element

NASA will launch a small cabin on a private rocket to dock with the power and propulsion element. The first astronauts to visit the Gateway will transfer from Orion to this pressurized cabin, where they will prepare for their expedition to the lunar South Pole.

2024 – Human Landing System

The human landing system will be launched in stages aboard private rockets. They will assemble together in lunar orbit and dock to the Gateway as a single unit, ready to take astronauts down to the lunar surface.

2024 – Artemis 3

NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where it will dock at the Gateway. The crew will check out the Gateway cabin and Human Landing System before boarding the lander to ride down to the Moon.

2025 – Artemis 4

NASA will build on the capabilities established for the 2024 landing, and work with U.S. industry and international partners to develop a sustainable human lunar presence. The Space Launch System rocket will send Orion spacecraft and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2026 – Artemis 5

NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2027 – Artemis 6

2028 – artemis 7, 2028 – sustainable human lunar presence.

NASA and its industry and international partners plan to have a steady cadence of astronaut expeditions to the Gateway and lunar surface, with increased Gateway capabilities and reusable landing systems.

2030s – Astronauts on Mars

NASA is keeping its eyes on human exploration of Mars. Our sustainable Moon to Mars exploration approach is reusable and repeatable – we will build an open exploration architecture in lunar orbit with as many capabilities that can be replicated as possible for missions to the Red Planet.

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What’s Up: August 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA

What to look for:

A planetary rendezvous, meteors, and a "star forge"!

Two planets meet for a super close conjunction, the Perseid meteor shower peaks, and look for the Lagoon Nebula – a stellar nursery in Sagittarius.

• August 4 – New moon
• August 11 – The Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight tonight! Provided you have clear skies, viewing conditions will be favorable this year, as the Moon sets by around 11:30 pm local time. Meteor activity picks up from then until dawn.
• August 14 – Jupiter and Mars have an extremely close pair-up called a conjunction this morning. They'll appear just a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full Moon. Find them in the eastern sky in the couple of hours before sunrise.
• August 19 – Full moon
• August 20 – The Moon chases Saturn across the sky tonight. The pair rise in the east shortly after dark, and trek toward the west together until dawn.
• August 27 –  This morning the crescent moon joins Mars and Jupiter to form a captivating trio. Look for them in the east in the hour or so before sunrise.
• All month – You can use binoculars or a telescope to observe the Lagoon Nebula all month in the first few hours after dark. It's located in the constellation Sagittarius near the star pattern known as "The Teapot." Similar in size and brightness to the Orion Nebula, it's a cauldron of star formation located about 4,000 light years away.

What's Up for August? A super close meetup of Jupiter and Mars, the outlook for the Perseid meteors, and see a stellar nursery in the Lagoon Nebula.

During the month of August, the Red Planet, Mars, speeds past our solar system's largest planet, Jupiter, in the a.m. sky. They have an extremely close pair-up, called a conjunction, on August 14th, when they'll appear just a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full Moon.

The view from NASA's Eyes on the Solar System reveals the two planets arranged along the same line of sight, which is why they appear so close together in the sky at this time.

Mars quickly pulls away from Jupiter over the following mornings, but on the 27th, the crescent moon joins the two planets to form a captivating trio in the morning sky.

Saturn flies solo most of the month on the opposite side of the sky, though the Moon chases close behind the Ringed Planet on August 20th. The pair rise shortly after dark, and trek toward the west together until dawn.

The warm summer nights of August in the Northern Hemisphere make the Perseid meteor shower an annual favorite. This year's peak night for Perseids comes on August 11th, and into morning twilight on the 12th. Provided you have clear skies, viewing conditions will be favorable this year, as the Moon sets by around 11:30 pm local time.

Meteor activity picks up from then until dawn. From darker viewing locations, meteor counts of 50 to 75 per hour are pretty normal at the peak.

The Perseids appear to originate from a place in the sky that rises in the northeast, so lie back and face roughly in that direction, but try to take in as much of the sky as you can in your view, as meteors can appear all over.

All the stars in the sky share a common origin in giant clouds of gas and dust called nebulas. And one such stellar nursery, the Lagoon Nebula, is well placed to observe in the August sky.

before and after

Finding the Lagoon Nebula

August 2024

The Lagoon Nebula will feel familiar to you if you've ever observed the Orion Nebula – with the latter being just a bit brighter. Being about three times wider than the full moon, it's still relatively easy to find, even under suburban skies, with binoculars or a small telescope.

The Lagoon Nebula is located in the constellation Sagittarius, which regular skywatchers will know is synonymous with the faintly glowing band of the Milky Way core. You'll find it here, just above the top of the star pattern known as the Teapot.

The nebula is located about 4,000 light years away. Its oblong structure is about 100 light years long by about 50 light years wide. It's a cauldron of intense star forming activity, with many young stars blazing brightly, causing the surrounding gas to glow. That glow is faint and colorless when peering at the Lagoon Nebula through binoculars, but long-exposure photos reveal its colorful nature. The bright stars are also sculpting the nebula, creating voids and turbulent knots and streamers of gas. The nebula gets its name from one of these dense, dark clouds that stretches across its middle, looking something like a watery lagoon.

The Lagoon Nebula appears high overhead in August for those in the Southern Hemisphere, and quite low for those at higher northern latitudes, but it's visible throughout the lower 49 United States. If you can locate the stars in the Teapot, you should be able to observe the nebula too. To find it, follow a line toward the west, twice the distance from the top of the Teapot's handle to the top of its lid.

Nebulas can be challenging to observe, even with a telescope. But with its large size and relative brightness, the Lagoon Nebula offers a great opportunity to see one of these star forges for yourself in August.

Here are the phases of the Moon for August.

Stay up to date on NASA's missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I'm Preston Dyches from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that's What's Up for this month.

Skywatching Resources ​

• NASA's Night Sky Network
• NASA's Watch the Skies Blog
• Daily Moon Observing Guide

About the 'What's Up' Production Team

"What's Up" is NASA's longest running web video series. It had its first episode in April 2007 with original host Jane Houston Jones. Today, Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje are the space enthusiasts who produce this monthly video series at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Additional astronomy subject matter guidance is provided by JPL's Bill Dunford, Lyle Tavernier, and the Night Sky Network's Kat Troche.

The What's Up team celebrates the memory of Gary Spiers, who provided astronomy observing guidance for the series for many years.

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Artemis III: a historic engine

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Later this summer, ESA’s third European Service Module will leave the integration halls of Airbus Space in Bremen, Germany, and travel to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to be connected to the crew module in preparation for the Artemis III launch to the Moon. Its main engine was installed earlier this year, and it is no stranger to space having already nine missions under its belt powering Space Shuttle orbiters.  

Once the Orion spacecraft has been launched into space by NASA’s super-heavy Space Launch System rocket, the European Service Module will propel it in space using its eight auxiliary thrusters and main engine supported by the 24 reaction control system engines to keep it on attitude.   

The first six European Service Modules use Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines as their main engine. These OMS engines are repurposed from Space Shuttle orbiters. During Space Shuttle flights, each orbiter used two OMS engines to propel itself in space and return to Earth. The third European Service Module’s OMS engine has already flown on nine different Space Shuttle missions from 1985 to 2011 and it will now return to space with the Artemis III mission, going further than it ever has before.  

Space Shuttle engines lighting up during the STS-130 mission in 2010. The OMS engines are the two smaller ones above the larger engines. Credit: NASA

The engine flew twice with the Challenger orbiter in April and July of 1985 in missions where experiments were performed in ESA’s Spacelab module. The engine’s third mission was 61-C in 1986 with the Columbia orbiter, a mission in which two future NASA administrators took part: Bill Nelson and Charles Bolden.  

NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson during the 61-C Space Shuttle mission. Credit: NASA

The next time this engine flew was 20 years later. From 2007 to 2011, it powered the Endeavour orbiter in six flights that helped to assemble the International Space Station. ESA astronauts were present on two of these missions: Leopold Eyharts on STS-123 in 2007 which also delivered the first module of the Japanese space laboratory Kibo, and Roberto Vittori on STS-134 in 2011 which was the last spaceflight of the Endeavour orbiter and the penultimate Space Shuttle programme flight.  

ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts during the STS-122 mission. Credit: NASA

ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori during the STS-134 mission. Credit: NASA

The table below shows the complete list of the engine’s missions:  

Top view of the Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour during the STS-123 mission in 2008. Credit: NASA

Another mission, STS-130, brought two modules of the International Space Station: Tranquility , also known as Node 3 , and the Cupola. Both modules were provided by ESA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and built by what is now Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, in the same manufacturing halls that build the backbone structure of the European Service Modules today.    

ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoferetti in the European-built Cupola on the International Space Station during her Minerva mission. Credit: ESA/NASA

Installation of the third European Service Module’s main engine at Airbus Space in Bremen, Germany. Credit: Airbus

Th is legendary engin e is now installed in the third European Service Module, which will soon be leaving Europe for the United States, its last stop before going further than it ever has before : bringing humankin d back to the Moon.  

ESA’s European Service Module propelling NASA’s Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. Credit: NASA

Written by Marie Deschamps

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NASA's Orion spacecraft faces huge test for moon flights and deep space

The Orion spacecraft will build upon over half a century of spaceflight science to carry humanity beyond the limits of the Earth's orbit, back to the moon, and to Mars.

Humanity is preparing to journey further into space than ever before.

Humankind will be returning to the moon , and eventually, setting foot on Mars for the first time. These next steps in crewed space exploration are part of the Artemis mission. And a key component of this mission is the crew vehicle, the Orion spacecraft, which capitalizes on over five decades of NASA space science.

The first major test of Orion will occur at the end of August 2022, when the most powerful rocket ever built by humanity  —  the Space Launch System (SLS)  —  will catapult the Orion capsule with crew farther than any other vessel intended for astronauts has ever gone before.

Following this test, officially designated the Artemis I mission , the capsule will eventually be the vehicle that carries humanity boldly forward into the next era of space exploration. 

Related: NASA's Artemis Program

"The Orion spacecraft is the capsule that will carry astronauts and scientific payloads to the moon," Madison E. Tuttle, public affairs specialist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, told Space.com. "Serving as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities, it is built to take humans farther than they've ever gone before."

The genesis of Orion

The Orion spacecraft has three main components. From top to bottom these are: The launch abort system designed to whisk the craft and crew to safety in event of something going wrong on launch; the crew module which is 16 feet in diameter (5 meters) and equipped with the latest advances in habitation, avionics, and life support; and below these is European Space Agency (ESA) provided service module, tasked with supplying the craft with oxygen, water, and power in the electricity converted from solar energy collected by the craft's three unfolding solar arrays.

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The Orion spacecraft  —  officially titled the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle  —  was initially conceived by Lockheed Martin in the early 2000s. Its history can be traced back to a crew exploration vehicle (CEV) announced in January 2004 for NASA's "Vision for Space Exploration" program.

The project would pick up the name 'Orion' when it was put forward as a CEV for NASA's Constellation program , in which crew and cargo versions would have journeyed to the International Space Station (ISS), in addition to returning humans to the moon. 

After the Constellation program was canceled in 2010, Orion survived, also outlasting the Ares 1 rocket that was originally slated to carry it into space. In 2011, the production of the Orion vehicle was announced by NASA, with Lockheed Martin taking the lead in building the command module of the craft.

In 2012, the ESA announced the possibility of a collaboration with NASA to provide a service module that could pair up with Orion. The same year the building of this Orion service module was granted to Airbus Defense and Space.

By 2020 there were at least three different versions of the Orion spacecraft in production with Lockheed Martin saying six missions using Orion had been formally agreed with NASA. The company says there remains the possibility of a for craft and a further 12 missions.

Between 2006 and 2020, the funding for Orion totaled almost $19 billion, which adjusted for inflation is around $21.5 billion, according to NASA New Start Inflation Indices .

Testing of the various components of the Orion craft, and the use of various models and boilerplate substitutes for the capsule date back as early as 2007. 

In December 2014, the Orion craft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Delta Heavy rocket for a short duration flight to gather data about the spacecraft's performance. The flight  —  Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1)  —  lasted four hours and 24 minutes and ended when the capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean. 

In 2021, the Orion craft was placed atop the SLS rocket. Earlier this year, the readied Artemis I rocket was rolled out to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Station, Florida, ready for its next, most significant test. 

"All this work comes together as the most powerful rocket ever built that launches the most sophisticated crew spacecraft ever built," SLS Associate Program Manager Sharon Cobb, told Space.com. "It represents human ingenuity and dedication and is something we can all be proud of."

During the uncrewed flight of the Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis 1 mission, the capsule will voyage farther than any vessel intended to carry a crew has ever ventured before. 

"Artemis I will test all the systems on the capsule and the modifications made after the 2014 test," Tuttle explained. "It is critical to ensure Orion can safely launch and splashdown ahead of missions with astronauts on board."

Related: Orion spacecraft: NASA's next-gen capsule to take astronauts beyond Earth orbit

The SLS with the Orion craft at its tip will blast off with a pair of five-segment boosters and four RS-25 engines delivering 8.8 million pounds (3.9 million kg) of thrust. Tuttle explained that the power of the SLS makes it the only launch vehicle capable of taking the Orion spacecraft on its trip to the moon and beyond.

Once reaching an altitude of around 100 miles (160 km) above Earth the SLS will jettison its boosters and service module panels, and Orion will jettison its launch abort system. The core stage engines will shut down and it will separate from Orion.

As it orbits the Earth, around two hours after launch, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) of the SLS upper stage gives the Orion craft the final push it needs to reach the moon and beyond. 

Propelled by its service module, Orion will journey 280,000 miles (450,000 kilometers) away from Earth. During this time, NASA engineers will be monitoring Orion via the Deep Space Network testing its ability to navigate, communicate, and operate in a deep space environment.

Orion's systems will be checked during its several-day trip to 62 miles (100 km) above the lunar surface. Orion will then use the gravitational influence of the moon to propel itself deeper into space, settling in an orbit about 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) from the moon.

— NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission: Live updates

— Artemis 1 will help NASA protect astronauts from deep space radiation

— NASA film traces Artemis 1 rocket's 'Path to the Pad' as mission stack rolls out today

After around six days in this orbit, Orion will once again use a close flyby of the moon to accelerate back to Earth. It will re-enter the atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour (40,200 km/h) experiencing temperatures of almost 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). The craft will be protected by the world's largest heat shield  —  16.5 feet (5 meters) in diameter  —  located at the base of the crew module as well as by sophisticated thermal tiles.

The safe re-entry and precision landing off the coast of California represent the final test of Orion. The only part of the craft that will reach Earth again is the crew module.

The mission will last between four and six weeks, the longest period a vehicle designed to carry humans has ever been in space without docking at a space station, and will see the Orion craft journey over 1.3 million miles (2.1 million km). 

"Orion is larger than other spacecraft to allow for the extra days and miles needed to reach lunar orbit. It will fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown," Tuttle said. "Not only will Orion will stay in space longer than any human spacecraft has without docking to a space station, but it will also return home faster and hotter than ever before."

Following the uncrewed Artemis I mission, the next major test of the Orion craft will be the Artemis II flight. This will see the Orion craft crewed in space for the first time. 

Later, during Artemis III which is set for no earlier than 2024, Orion will carry a woman and a person of color to the moon for the first time, setting down at the lunar south pole .

"The two missions following Artemis I will fly astronauts to lunar orbit and Artemis III will carry astronauts to the moon along with a human lander system," Tuttle explained. "Artemis II will be the first time crew has flown on Orion and they will spend time orbiting the Moon and putting Orion's systems to the test ahead of the Artemis III Moon landing."

Related: NASA's Artemis 3 moon-landing astronauts will explore 1 of these 13 lunar locales

Airbus Defense and Space began the construction of a second service unit in 2017 which will accompany the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis II mission. 

Laura Poliah is the test lead of the Orion spacecraft project. Ahead of the Artemis I launch, she reflected on the significance of the mission and the journey Orion has taken to get to this point.

"As we prepare for the Orion Spacecraft to take its first journey around the moon and back, I reflect on the countless hours of design, assembly, and testing performed with our various partners to make it here," Poliah told Space.com. "There is a wide range of emotions from anticipation to exhilaration, but most of all I have so much pride in my team and the work we have contributed to help usher our generation into a new era of space exploration; it has been a great honor."

Additional Reading

A key component of the Artemis program is the Space Launch System megarocket,  the most powerful rocket devised by humanity.

NASA's Artemis program will see humans once again step foot on the lunar surface and travel beyond to Mars. 

Bibliography

" Artemis ." NASA (2022). 

" Around the Moon with NASA's First Launch of SLS with Orion ." NASA (2022). 

" Meet NASA's Orion Spacecraft ." NASA (2022).

" Orion Overview ." NASA (2022). 

" NASA's Orion Spacecraft ." NASA (2022). 

" NASA FY19 Inflation Tables — to be utilized in FY20 ." NASA (2020). 

" LIFTOFF! Orion Begins New Era in Space Exploration! " NASA (2014). 

" NASA's Orion Spacecraft, Lockheed Martin ." Lockheed Martin (2022). 

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook .  

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.

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Lion's Gate Portal 2024: How to quantum leap your manifestation powers during this cosmic vortex

July 26 to August 12 is one of the most exciting and powerful periods in the astrological calendar - an astrologer explains how to harness its potent energy...

If you’ve felt a growing sensation of magic in the air or feel ‘plugged in’ to an elevated state of being then congratulations! It could well be that you’re hyped-attuned to the cosmic energies that are abounding right now, because from July 26th to August 12 th we will have entered a celestial vortex known as Lion’s Gate Portal.

This auspicious period is believed to enhance our spiritual growth, elevate our consciousness, aid in transformation and – because of the higher awareness we are granted thanks to Light Codes - supercharge our manifestation powers.

This will be especially prevalent at the peak of Lion’s Gate Portal – the 8 th of August – which is also known as the Galactic New Year.

What is the Lion’s Gate Portal?

Sirius is also known as the Dog Star and is the brightest star in the sky at night. In Ancient Egypt, Sirius was linked to the goddess Isis, who was revered in Egyptian mythology and is associated with fertility, renewal, and the flooding of the Nile.

In astrology, we link Sirius to our higher spiritual aspirations and the elevated karmic journey of our soul. The Sun is related to our identity, ego, sense of purpose and the potential for where we can ‘shine’ in this lifetime.

Therefore, when they are together the brightness of Sirius merges with the life-giving power of the Sun to illuminate our true path and where we can reach optimum spiritual growth. Their alignment creates a portal through which we receive potent messages in the form of Light Codes.

These can be anything from divine downloads, sudden flashes of inspiration or awareness, a serendipitous meeting, ethereal messages and energetic activations.

.css-1cugboc{margin:0rem;font-size:2.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-family:Domaine,Domaine-roboto,Domaine-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;color:#f7623b;font-weight:bold;}.css-1cugboc em,.css-1cugboc i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;}.css-1cugboc b,.css-1cugboc strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;} 'We must trust that we will receive what it is we need, not always what we want'

This energy is thought to provide accentuated opportunities for healing, manifestation, and enlightenment. It can trigger transcendental awareness and broaden our mental and spiritual horizons, which allows us to integrate a new level of consciousness.

What's special about 8/8?

Lion’s Gate Portal and the assimilation of Light Codes reaches a peak on the 8 th August. The date 8/8 is even more auspicious because in numerology the number 8 is associated with luck and good fortune and is also the symbol for infinity when placed sideways.

On the 8 th August, we celebrate a cosmic alignment between Sirius, the Sun, the Earth and the ‘galactic centre’, which is the central point of the Milky Way. This date is known as Galactic New Year and is thought to be the day when Light Codes are strongest.

By receiving these messages and being willing to transform and shed a past version of ourselves, we are cosmically supported in breaking old patterns and karmic loops that have been inhibiting us from evolving spiritually. This is why 8/8 can be viewed as a new year for our ‘spiritual consciousness’.

Manifestation 101

There’s a lot of hype surrounding manifestation, and chances are you’ve heard a few Instagram gurus promising to activate your potential, worked with your own Manifestation Meditation or maybe you read bestselling book The Secret and have a fair idea about the Law of Attraction.

The essential concept of manifestation is that we can create an optimum scenario that we want to attract into our lives, via the power of our attention .

The phrase ‘where attention goes, energy goes’ is the basic principle of manifestation.

It is a fact that the entire Universe is created from energy – Einstein famously said ‘Everything is energy and that is all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want, and you cannot help but get that reality.’

We are existing in a ‘world’ of limitless potential that is just constantly shifting energetic vibration. When we alter the vibration of our thought waves, we change the frequency of the Universe to provide us with what we want.

This doesn’t happen automatically – we need to have clear intention, a strong vision of the outcome we desire, gratitude for what we are attracting (even before we have it) and a sincere faith and belief that we deserve this eventuality.

We must also ‘release’ what we want to manifest into the Universe and trust that we will receive what it is we need , not always what we want . All manifestation, at its core, is an act of co-creation with the Universe.

Over Lion’s Gate Portal, it is thought that the energetic vibrations travelling to us via Light Codes are being received directly from the Galactic Centre, which is the Source of all knowledge.

As these codes are transmitted, they are amplified by the proximity to Sirius and therefore, when these flashes of inspiration or heightened awareness reach us here on Earth, our power to create a new reality that we desire to call in is massively amplified.

How YOU can use this Lion’s Gate Portal energy

During the Lion’s Gate Portal vortex between July 26th to August 12 th , it can be useful to treat all encounters, opportunities and situations as serendipitous.

• Could they have a deeper message or lesson for you?
• What flashes of inspiration are arriving and where do you feel a deep transformative shift?
• Are you having any intuitive insights or boosts of energy that will help facilitate your healing?

If anything arrives for you, note it down in your journal.

Think about the person you want to become and the past version of yourself you want to step away from. What has been inhibiting you? What patterns can you break, or ties can you cut that drag you back time and time again? Where can you use this period to step into the most courageous, empowered version of yourself?

On Galactic New Year (8 th August) start the day with a gratitude list. Gratitude is an essential part of manifestation, as it literally changes our frequency to one of high vibrational reception.

In fact, if you can write a gratitude list on each day of the portal – even if just three things you’re thankful for – then this opens you up to receive even more.

It’s also good to spend some time practising meditation, breathwork or yoga as a way of clearing your mind and tapping into your higher consciousness. This can allow inspiration, downloads and the ‘messages’ of Light Codes to make themselves known. You might want to integrate crystals such as citrine, sunstone and amber in your practice as a way of aligning yourself to be in a more receptive state for these insights.

Treat this day much as you’d treat any other ‘new year’ – by setting intentions, creating resolutions and writing down your goals and desires.

Try this Lion's Gate manifestation practice

Define what it is you want to manifest into your life. Be specific and positive.

Close your eyes and visualise yourself in this scenario, sometime in the future. What can you feel, smell, taste, see and hear? As you imagine this situation allow a warm glow of gratitude and thanks to spread through you from the bottom of your spine, up to the crown of your head. Welcome the feeling that you already know you have this coming for you.

On a piece of paper, write a detailed account of this situation in the present tense . For example: ‘ I am sitting in my dream kitchen looking out of the window at my country-cottage garden, with the love of my life sitting next to me, and I can see…’ Make it really come alive on the page.

You may then want to put this paper in an envelope and, as you fold and seal it, openly say ‘thank you’ to the Universe and acknowledge that you are now releasing your desire to source consciousness.

Think about the person you want to become & the past version of yourself you want to step away from

You might also want to journal with the following prompts at various times throughout this cosmic portal, as a way of better understanding yourself and welcoming in the potential to change your current trajectory.

• What practices, situations and people make me feel most powerful and confident?
• What activities make me feel as if I’m treading my true path?
• Where do I currently feel frustrated, limited and stuck?
• How am I blocking myself off from stepping into the role I want to play?
• What fears stop me from taking centre stage or allowing myself to follow my dreams?
• What limiting thought patterns or habits can I shift? How can I allow myself to be more vulnerable so that I can usher in a fresh mindset and new behaviours?

Remember that a key element of Lion’s Gate Portal is also working on radical self-acceptance and self-love .

Practising daily affirmations and supportive self-talk throughout this period is incredibly powerful and potent. If we’re still resistant to the person we are , how can we hope to appreciate and work with the next version of ourselves that we want to become ?

Follow Bex on Instagram, @cosmic_cures

Read now: How to build self-compassion and confidence

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Bex Milford is a professional astrologer who spends half the year living on a sun-soaked tropical beach in Goa, and the other half exploring European cities. She’s a firm believer that Where Attention Goes, Energy Flows and her approach to self-developmental astrology aims to help women connect with their true source of power and purpose. When she’s not analysing the stars you can find her penning her debut novel from a sunny cafe, three iced coffees down, ready to dance off excess energy to EDM and deep-house. Find out more about her astrology offerings at https://www.instagram.com/cosmic_cures/

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Where to look to see the Perseid meteor shower when it peaks this weekend in Kentucky

The Perseid meteor shower is an annual summer delight for skywatchers and the best time to watch happens this weekend. Weather permitting, Kentucky's night sky will come alive with fiery streaks of light zipping through Earth's upper atmosphere.

Here's what you should know about where, when, and how to watch the Perseids before the season comes to a close.

What is the Perseid meteor shower?

When rocks or other debris enter Earth's atmosphere at a high rate of speed, they often burn up. These fireballs, or "shooting stars," are called meteors . The Perseid meteor shower happens every year when the Earth passes through a cloud of debris left behind by the Comet Swift-Tuttle . Perseid meteors tend to leave long "wakes" of light, writes NASA , as they streak across the sky.

When is the best time of year to watch the Perseid meteor shower?

The meteor shower is active from July through September and its peak activity will happen Aug. 11-13 in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the  American Meteor Society . If the weather cooperates, you should be able to spot dozens, if not hundreds, of meteors every night by mid-August.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Weather forecast during the Perseid meteor shower for Louisville, Kentucky

The weather can be a fickle thing, but local forecasters with the National Weather Service in Louisville predict Sunday through Tuesday night will see partly cloudy skies with lows in the low 60s. Thankfully the moon will be at only half its illumination for better viewing. When it becomes full later this month, we'll have a seasonal blue moon .

What part of the night sky are the Perseid meteors?

Look up into the night sky and find what experts call "the radiant" — the point where the Perseids appear most frequently. In this case, it's the constellation Perseus , which begins to rise at roughly 11 p.m., writes Space.com .

Which direction to look to see the Perseid meteor shower

Look north toward the Perseus constellation, which is about 40 degrees latitude. Perseus will be under the W-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia. It never sets below the horizon and is visible year-round in the Northern Hemisphere. That's where you should be able to spot the Perseid meteor shower.

What is the best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower?

The best way to watch the Perseid meteor shower is to find a nice, comfortable spot away from city lights. If you can, search for a wide open field or country road 1-2 miles away from the city — the darker the sky, the more clearly you'll see meteors. The best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower is from midnight into the predawn hours after the radiant has reached its highest point in the night sky, writes EarthSky .

Astronomical events happening in August 2024

If you plan on observing the night sky this month, according to NASA's skywatching tips , keep the following dates in mind for August 2024:

• August 11  – The  Perseid meteor shower  will peak overnight. Provided you have clear skies, viewing conditions will be favorable this year, as the moon sets by around 11:30 p.m. local time. Meteor activity picks up from then until dawn.
• August 14  –  Jupiter  and  Mars  have an extremely close pair-up called a conjunction this morning. They'll appear just a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full Moon. Find them in the eastern sky in the couple of hours before sunrise.
• August 19  –  Full moon .
• August 20  – The Moon chases  Saturn  across the sky tonight. The pair rise in the east shortly after dark, and trek toward the west together until dawn.
• August 27  –  This morning the crescent moon joins Mars and Jupiter to form a captivating trio. Look for them in the east in the hour or so before sunrise.
• All month  – You can use binoculars or a telescope to observe the Lagoon Nebula in the first few hours after dark. It's located in the constellation Sagittarius near the star pattern known as "The Teapot." Similar in size and brightness to the Orion Nebula, it's a cauldron of star formation located about 4,000 light years away.

August is for Astronomy lovers: Seasonal blue moon and other heavenly surprises are in store this month

John Tufts  covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at  [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at  JTuftsReports .