NASA’s Orion spacecraft has spotted the destination of its Artemis 1 test flight to the moon and captured stunning video to mark the moment.
In a video posted on Friday (November 18), the half-light moon is visible in the distance with the orion spacecraft in close-up, complete with the NASA “worm” logo, as seen from a camera on the tip of one of the capsule’s four solar wings. At the time, Orion was halfway to the moonNASA said in a statement.
“On the third day of the Artemis I mission, Orion maneuvered its solar arrays and captured Moon with a camera mounted on the end of the array,” NASA wrote in the Video description (opens in a new tab).
NASA launched Orion in is unmanned artemis 1 mission on Wednesday (November 16) over the agency’s first ship space launch system (SLS), which is now the world’s most powerful rocket. Orion will take a 25-day voyage to the Moon and return on a test cruise that will return to Earth on December 2. 11. NASA is using the mission as a test flight for it. artemis program to see if the SLS and Orion rocket are ready to take astronauts to the moon, with a crewed lunar landing planned for 2025.
the video is the latest Stunning view from Orionwhich is equipped with 24 cameras spread throughout its exterior, solar panels and interior to record its historic test flight.
Artemis 1 launch photos: Stunning views of NASA’s moon rocket debut
Live updates: NASA Artemis 1 lunar mission
In the hours after launch, Orion captured a crescent Earth that was lagging behind as it made its way to the moon. Check it out below.
NASA has also released a new Artemis All-Access Video Series which will provide weekly updates on the mission as it ventures to the moon and back.
The first episode, which NASA also released Friday, chronicles the first three days of the Artemis 1 mission, including stunning views of the spacecraft’s separation from its SLS rocket upper stage, cubesat deployment milestones, and an update. from NASA’s Dan Huot on how the mission got so far Check out the video below to see for yourself.
As of early Saturday morning (November 19), the Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft was 216,391 miles (348,247 kilometers) from Earth, 93,048 miles (149,746 km) from the moon and cruising through space at 995 mph (1,601 kph), according to NASA. You may Track Orion through space. on its mission via NASA’s Artemis Track website (opens in a new tab).
Up to this point, The Orion flight has gone relatively welland NASA mission managers said it exceeded their expectations, despite minor hiccups as engineers learn how the spacecraft works in deep space.
On Monday morning (November 21), Artemis 1 Orion will make its closest approach to the moon in a flyby, coming within 60 miles (100 km) of the moon as it prepares to complete its wide circular orbit.
NASA will webcast the flyby of the moon Artemis 1 live beginning at 7:15 am EST (12:15 GMT), with closest approach time scheduled for just after 7:57 am EST (1257 GMT). ). Orion will enter its final orbit around the Moon on November 1. 25 at 4:52 pm EST (21:52 GMT), with NASA coverage beginning at 4:30 pm EST (21:30 GMT). You may Watch live NASA Artemis 1 Orion webcasts on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV.
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