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- TL;DR
- For the first time since 1972, humans will get close to the Moon again.
The Artemis program in the US aims to return to the Moon, land, and work on long-term expeditions and a permanent Moon base. At least for initial missions, astronauts will launch in an Orion capsule on top of the Space Launch System (SLS), and return in Orion. SLS and Orion made a first uncrewed test flight (Artemis I) in 2022, now it's time for a crewed test flight. It will only fly around the Moon once in a free-return trajectory without landing, but it will still be the first time since 1972 that humans leave low Earth orbit and go to the Moon.
Currently everything is on track for a launch in just under 10 hours. NASA is preparing the rocket for propellant loading. Countdown plan
NASA coverage
NASASpaceflight coverage
There is a 2 hour launch window each day for the next few days in case something leads to delays, NASA currently aims at the start of the first launch window. The crew will make one orbit in low Earth orbit, then raise its orbit to a highly eccentric orbit that needs one day for a revolution, and if nothing goes wrong it will then commit to fly to the Moon and back, which takes about a week.
Currently everything is on track for a launch in just under 10 hours. NASA is preparing the rocket for propellant loading. Countdown plan
NASA coverage
NASASpaceflight coverage
There is a 2 hour launch window each day for the next few days in case something leads to delays, NASA currently aims at the start of the first launch window. The crew will make one orbit in low Earth orbit, then raise its orbit to a highly eccentric orbit that needs one day for a revolution, and if nothing goes wrong it will then commit to fly to the Moon and back, which takes about a week.
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