NASA Artemis 1 Moon Mission Flight Set For August: Here's What The Mission Aims To Achieve

NASA Artemis 1 Moon mission finally has a launch date after many delays and snags. The uncrewed test for the Artemis mission around the Moon is scheduled for late August depending on the repairs and last-minute tweaks. The new launch date was announced after the success of the delayed wet dress rehearsal.

NASA Artemis 1 Mission Launch Date

NASA announced the uncrewed test flight around the Moon is scheduled between August 29 and September 5. However, this isn't an agency confirmation, said Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator of exploration systems. The premier space agency will announce a fixed date for the uncrewed test a week before the actual liftoff.

Several multiple factors need addressing before the first uncrewed flight for the Artemis 1 mission can take off. This includes setting up the Artemis 1 stack of the Space Launch System, Orion capsule, and more. The team has presently set these interim dates as the target and working on close-outs among other things.

Close-outs refer to interim approvals on important systems that are necessary for the launch, which includes the entire journey flight to the Moon and back for splashdown on the Earth. It also includes ticking the checklist of items to be verified on the SLS stack before it leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

#Artemis news ahead!
@NASA leaders will be sharing updates on the Artemis I mission at 11am ET (15:00 UTC) on July 20 as @NASAGroundSys teams prepare for the uncrewed flight test that will prepare us for human missions to the Moon: https://t.co/teIlwmsKZu pic.twitter.com/MJ6D3XhVyt

— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) July 19, 2022

NASA Artemis 1 Mission So Far

The upcoming NASA Artemis 1 mission is one of the most ambitious projects that the premier agency has taken up in recent times. The mission aims to send humans back to the lunar surface, years after the first landing. The project will also aim to look for essential elements on the Moon, including solid water.

What's more, NASA aims to make the Moon a solid ground for future ambitious missions that involve sending astronauts to Mars. NASA even aims to set up a base on the Moon that could further boost deep space exploration. Presently, the Artemis 1 mission recently underwent the wet dress rehearsal that was 'deemed good enough' for the next stage of testing before the actual flight with astronauts.