WASHINGTON: Save the date: The agency said Wednesday that NASA's Artemis programme to return to the Moon could launch its first uncrewed test flight as soon as August 29.
Artemis-1 is the first in a series of missions designed to return humans to the Moon, establish a permanent presence there, and use the lessons learned to plan a trip to Mars in the 2030s.
NASA associate administrator Jim Free told reporters that the giant Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion crew capsule could launch on August 29, September 2, and September 5.
The decision comes after final ground checks at Florida's Kennedy Space Center known as "wet dress rehearsals."
The most recent of these tests, conducted in June, met 90 percent of the team's objectives, and Cliff Lanham, senior vehicle operations manager, announced on Wednesday that engineers have now replaced faulty seals that caused a hydrogen leak on SLS during the final trial.
Artemis-1 will travel around the far side of the Moon for four to six weeks – longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking – before returning home faster and hotter than any previous vessel.
It will also launch a number of small satellites known as CubeSats to conduct experiments in space.
"Our first and primary goal is to demonstrate Orion's heat shield in lunar reentry conditions," Artemis mission manager Mike Sarafin told reporters.
When the capsule returns from the Moon, it will be travelling at approximately 24,500 miles per hour (39,400 kilometres per hour) and will be exposed to temperatures half as hot as the Sun outside of its heat shield.
The second goal is to demonstrate the flightworthiness of the rocket and crew capsule as they execute all of their manoeuvres throughout the mission.
Finally, NASA will attempt to successfully retrieve and thoroughly inspect Orion after splashdown.
The first crewed test, Artemis-2, will fly around the Moon but not land, while Artemis-3 will see the first woman and first person of colour touch down on the lunar south pole.
