Artemis II lifts off: NASA’s SLS rocket roars to life, carrying four astronauts toward lunar orbit

FLORIDA: Half a century after humans last set foot on the lunar surface, the mission to establish a permanent presence there has begun. The Orion spacecraft has commenced its journey, marking the second mission of the Artemis program.

The crew consists of:

• Christina Koch
• Victor Glover
• Reid Wiseman
• Jeremy Hansen

Joining them is a small doll named Snoopy (often used as a zero-G indicator), though many missions also carry commemorative items like memory cards. This specific mission carries the names of millions of people who signed up to be part of the journey.

Mission timeline

The launch took place at 4:04 AM IST via NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from the Kennedy Space Center.

• Launch + 8 Minutes: The Orion spacecraft separated from the core stage of the rocket.
• Day 2: Orion will perform a Trans-Lunar Injection to leave Earth's orbit.
• Day 4: The spacecraft will reach the vicinity of the Moon, performing a flyby.
• Day 10: After completing its lunar trajectory and testing life-support systems, Orion will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Francisco.

Path to the Lunar Base (2027–2028)

The data gathered during Artemis II will be critical for future milestones:

• 2027 (Artemis III): The Orion spacecraft will dock with a Lunar Lander (SpaceX’s Starship) in lunar orbit. This mission aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.
• 2028 (Artemis IV): This mission will focus on delivering the first modules of the Lunar Gateway (a space station orbiting the Moon) and continuing efforts to establish a permanent base.

Orion’s Flight Sequence

1. Liftoff: The SLS rocket ascends from the Kennedy Space Center.
2. Jettison: The solid rocket boosters and the launch abort system (protective shield) detach.
3. Core Stage Cutoff: The rocket’s main engines shut down, and the core stage falls into the ocean.
4. Upper Stage Ignition: The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) ignites to push Orion into a higher orbit.
5. Orbital Raising: The spacecraft’s own engines ignite to move further away from Earth.
6. Separation: Orion separates completely from the upper stage, and the crew takes manual control to test the spacecraft's handling.