After eleven years of development, twists and turns, the Space Launch System (SLS) is finally on its way. This super-heavy rocket developed by NASA will be responsible for carrying the next astronauts to the Moon.
NASA’s SLS rests on the iconic launch pad 39B
This Thursday, March 17, the SLS left its assembly plant to be transported 6 kilometers away, to the emblematic launch pad 39B of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, by the Crawler Transporter 2 tracked vehicle. -ci was also used to transport the Saturn rockets of the Apollo missions as well as the space shuttles. The journey took nearly 11 hours, with the Crawler Transporter only able to reach speeds of 1 kilometer per hour.
The OdySight eye health device will be reimbursed by social security
” On these launching pads, remarkable individuals are doing unthinkable things. Today, a new generation, not the Apollo generation, but the Artemis generation, is preparing to reach new frontiers. This generation will send astronauts back to the moon, and this time we’ll land the first woman and the first person of color to conduct groundbreaking scientific research. said Bill Nelson, the NASA Administrator.
Because the SLS is NASA’s new generation of super-heavy launcher, specially designed to deliver humans to the Moon. In development since 2011, it experienced many delays and was therefore highly anticipated; once installed on its launch pad on March 18, it could finally be observed fully assembled for the very first time, with in particular the Orion capsule, which will transport the astronauts, positioned at the very top of the rocket.
Standing just under 100 meters tall, the SLS was designed to be more powerful than Saturn rockets. It will have the thrust to not only send astronauts away from Earth, but also enough equipment and cargo to keep its crews away from Earth for long periods of time. As a reminder, NASA’s Artemis program aims to return human beings to the Moon, but also to install a permanent base there for the manned flights to Mars, which should occur in the decades to come.
The Space Launch System (SLS) being transported to Launch Pad 39B on the Crawler Transporter vehicle. Photography: NASA/Kim Shiflett
A dress rehearsal before the big start
On April 3, if all goes as planned, NASA will hold a general rehearsal before the launch of the Artemis 1 mission, which should take place around May or June. During this test, the rocket will be loaded with fuel and undergo a practice countdown to just 9.4 seconds from liftoff.
” After the rehearsal, NASA will review data from the test before setting a specific target launch date for the next Artemis 1 launch. The integrated rocket and spacecraft will return to the Vehicle Assembly Building several days after the launch. test in order to remove the sensors used during the rehearsal, recharge the system batteries, secure the late loading and carry out the final checks. Orion and SLS will then roll to the launch pad for one last time, approximately one week before launch. “, explained the Space Agency in A press release.
The Artemis 1 mission aims to validate the operation of the SLS as well as the Orion capsule, so it will not be manned. During this, the NASA rocket will complete a 26-day journey through space, which will include an extended orbit around the Moon. ” NASA’s Artemis program will pave the way for humanity’s big leap forward, future missions to Mars. There is no doubt that we are in a golden age of human space exploration, discovery and ingenuity in space. And it all starts with Artemis 1 said the NASA administrator.
” The Space Launch System is the only rocket capable of sending humans into deep space. It is the most powerful rocket in the world. And Orion will venture further than any spacecraft built for humans that has ever flown humans. It will stay in space longer than any spacecraft designed for astronauts has ever done without docking with a space station “, he continued.
SpaceX Starship to spoil the party?
However, it should not be forgotten that SpaceX is also developing a super-heavy rocket called Starship, designed to take humans to the red planet. Even more imposing than the SLS, it also has a huge advantage over the NASA one since it will be fully reusable, and therefore much less expensive. As the BBC notes, the first four SLS missions are expected to each cost more than $4 billion to execute, a sum described as ” unsustainable “.
This SpaceX animation shows what a Starship launch will look like when the rocket is ready:
If for the time being, Starship and its Super Heavy launcher have not yet carried out a test in orbit, the rocket should be operational fairly quickly, knowing the objectives of Elon Musk’s company. In addition, Starship has been chosen as the lander for the Artemis program: it will be this vehicle, thanks to its reusability, which will land astronauts on the Moon and take them off from it.
What if, to reduce costs, NASA eventually chose to use only Starship for the entire mission…? This possibility is currently not on the table as the SLS is expected and has cost a huge amount of money; abandoning the project would mean an incredibly bitter failure for the American space agency. However, it should not be ruled out categorically.
Artemis 1 will be followed by Artemis 2, a manned mission around the Moon, in 2024. Artemis 3, the first moon landing planned by NASA since 1972, is scheduled for 2025 at the earliest.