Breathtaking Video Shows NASA’s Artemis I Mission Bidding Adieu To Earth

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA’s Artemis I mission to the Moon has finally left Earth. The space agency’s uncrewed Orion capsule will soon be making its way to the lunar orbit after launching aboard the uber-expensive Space Launch System (SLS) on Wednesday. A new timelapse video released by NASA shows the rocket leaving Earth’s gravity to embark on a voyage to the Moon.

The launch marks a historic moment in space exploration and reminds us how little we know about the vast canvas that is the cosmos. NASA’s video shows how the spacecraft bids adieu to our planet which can be seen shrinking in the background.

Orion leaving earth (timelapse) pic.twitter.com/bbiHMX2zEy

— TJ Cooney 🚀🇺🇦 (@TJ_Cooney) November 16, 2022

Creating History In Space Exploration

In the video, a NASA commentator can be heard saying, "This view of Earth captured from a human-rated spacecraft not seen since 1972, during the final Apollo stages some 50 years ago. The views of our blue marble in the blackness of space now capturing the imagination of a new generation — the Artemis generation."

New views of planet Earth from @NASA_Orion as #Artemis I journeys to the Moon. Orion is 9.5 hours into a 25.5-day test flight. pic.twitter.com/CBaA4ZOK4X

— NASA (@NASA) November 16, 2022

The spacecraft also has a mannequin named "Commander Moonikin Campos" that will put the space agency’s Orion Crew Survival System to test. These suits are likely to be used for future Artemis missions which will see astronauts set foot on the Moon again after five decades.

The mannequin is accompanied by two other "crewmates" dubbed Helga and Zohar. They are two legless mannequins sent to measure the amount of space radiation the real astronauts could be exposed to when they travel to and fro between Earth and the Moon.

The Orion capsule will be in space for the next 25 days and will return to Earth after revolving in the lunar orbit. The spacecraft is expected to crash down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11.

First Step Towards Setting Lunar Base

NASA Artemis I mission finally took off despite being hit with several launch delays due to technical glitches in the past few months. The space agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) was recently damaged due to strong wind gusts from Hurricane Nicole.

However, NASA engineers still managed to overcome the issues and clear the spacecraft for launch. The Artemis I mission took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12.18 PM (IST) on November 16.

The mission will lay the groundwork for upcoming Artemis missions and NASA’s goal to set up a sustainable human base on the Moon. The Artemis II mission will ferry astronauts into the lunar orbit in 2023, while the Artemis III mission will be launched in 2024 or 2025.