We’re nearing the day, when we will finally be able to send people back to the Moon,
for the first time since 1972. Ever since, this program was announced in 2019, people all over the
world haven’t been able to hold their excitement. The Artemis 1 lunar mission, which was previously
known as Exploration Mission 1, will be NASA's first major step towards bringing
astronauts back to the moon's surface. It will be the first test flight of
NASA's new Space Launch System mega rocket and the Orion crew capsule.
The uncrewed flight of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft will be critical
in getting the two technologies ready for human flights to the moon later this decade.
The systems will work together to provide not just valuable human testing,
but also to transport humanoid and robotic passengers for science and PR objectives.
On the 2nd of April, lightning struck the launch pad of NASA's massive Artemis 1 moon rocket
several times, but the rocket was unharmed while technicians completed a vital test.
Four lightning strikes struck the area around the launch pad, where NASA's first Space Launch System
(SLS) mega rocket was undergoing a three-day "wet dress rehearsal" for its Artemis 1 mission.
Three towers and a catenary wire structure protected the rocket from lightning
strikes by diverting hits to the ground and away from the booster rocket.
The first 3 strikes were very passive but the 4th one was one of the strongest ever seen.
The enhanced protection, kept the rocket safe. The upgraded lightning protection system provided
better shielding from these strikes and ensured that the rocket didn’t come under any harm.
On the 3rd of April, 2022, NASA was conducting the wet dress rehearsal procedure, when complications
arose that led to the process being stopped. Due to a loss of ability to pressurise the
mobile launcher, the team opted to cancel tanking activities for the wet dress rehearsal.
The fans are required to maintain positive pressure in the mobile launcher's enclosed
compartments and to keep dangerous gases out. Without this capability, technicians will be
unable to properly load propellants into the rocket's core stage
and interim cryogenic propulsion stage. The Aerospace company will provide an update
in a press conference on the 4th of April. Artemis I is the SLS's first uncrewed launch,
with the rocket and Orion spacecraft being tested in space, to determine if they work as intended,
as well as transporting the names of people all over the world into orbit.
Artemis II will send humans into space for the farthest voyage ever from Earth,
reaching beyond the Moon over a 10-day mission if everything goes according to plan.
After that, Artemis III will return four humans to the Moon's surface. The original date of 2024
has been moved back to 2025 due to the pandemic. The goal of this week-long mission is to return
back Moon samples that will reveal more about the satellite's and Earth's history.
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