(ORDO NEWS) — The Artemis lunar program , which NASA calls “mankind’s return to the moon,” is taking a big step forward after numerous delays.
The space agency announced that the launch of the Artemis 1 mission , in which the Orion spacecraft will circle the moon and then return to Earth, will take place on August 29.
If something goes wrong, the launch will be rescheduled for September 2nd.
“We are in the last phase,” Artemis 1 launch manager Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said during a press conference, confirming the launch date.
Blackwell-Thompson also confirmed that the final upgrade of the Orion spacecraft, which will be mounted on the giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket , has been completed .
Troubled revival of NASA’s lunar program
A June report showed the space agency was years behind schedule for the “moon program”.
According to the report, Artemis 4, the first manned mission to the surface of the earth’s satellite, may also be delayed by about two and a half years (originally scheduled for 2024).
A plethora of large projects and budgetary constraints are major obstacles to the space agency’s ambitious efforts.
Therefore, returning to the moon in the current realities turned out to be a little more difficult than NASA would like.
Despite the difficulties, NASA is doing everything possible to implement its plans, trying to avoid catastrophic delays.
Artemis is a very large and ambitious project that requires a comprehensive effort and investment that will surely pay off as a result of the success of the Artemis 1 mission.
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