Artemis I Liftoff Activities

Wes Mosedale, at left, technical assistant to the launch director, and Dan Florez, NASA test director, monitor their consoles during countdown and liftoff of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Launch Complex 39B on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff was at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

Wes Mosedale, at left, technical assistant to the launch director, and Dan Florez, NASA test director, monitor their consoles during countdown and liftoff of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Launch Complex 39B on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff was at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

Photographer NASA/Kim Shiflett
Album Artemis_I_Launch
Exploration Ground SystemsEGSArtemisArtemis ISpace Launch SystemSLSOrionKennedy Space CenterKSCLaunch Pad 39BMoonMoon to MarsHuman Exploration