SLS : Artemis I UPDATES: Kennedy LC-39B : 16 November 2022 (06:47 UTC)

[FutureSpaceTourist]

FOR ATTEMPT 2 SKIP TO PAGE 21

Also see: SLS articles:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/news/artemis/

L2 SLS:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=48.0

Artemis I discussion thread:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=53923.0

Artemis I party thread: 🥳 🎉 🤪 😎
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=56967.0

Time for an Artemis I launch thread, as target date is announced!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Jim Free announces that target launch dates on the range for Artemis I are August 29th, September 2nd & 5th.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/lorengrush/status/1549776548751740929

August 29th: Launch at 8:33AM ET, two hour launch window. 42 day duration, splashdown on October 10th

September 2nd: Launch at 12:48PM ET, two hour launch window. 39 day duration, splashdown on October 11th

https://twitter.com/lorengrush/status/1549776760400756736

September 5th: Launch at 5:12PM ET, one and a half hour launch window. 42 day duration, splashdown on October 17th

[eeergo]

Jim Free announces that target launch dates on the range for Artemis I are August 29th, September 2nd & 5th.

Hope that holds, even if it's just an aborted countdown it will make for an excellent birthday present

[jadebenn]

Jim Free announces that target launch dates on the range for Artemis I are August 29th, September 2nd & 5th.

LP25 it is!

[eeergo]

Formal mission objectives beyond SLS test flight:

https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1549774943604379648

1) Demonstrate Orion's Heat shield at lunar entry conditions, will be traveling at Mach 32, much faster than a return from LEO.  No test facility can simulate that.
2) Teams will verify all of @NASA_Orion's systems want to make sure that Orion can deal with the thermal challenges, and the engines can operate. Need to understand any uncertainties.
3) objective is to retrieve Orion after an ocean splashdown and do post-launch inspections
4) Certify the optical navigation system, deploy the CubeSats and share the mission with the public.
Mission planners have started to build detailed timelines. Looking at long class missions but objectives will remain the same 4 major burns  after TLI major burns, will also have two sets of burns to depart Lunar Orbit.
Sarafin also recalls this is a test mission, the team is prepared to adapt along the way, we may not have some time to certify the optical navigation system. Next few weeks will be a flurry of activity.

[eeergo]

Rollout for launch expected 11 days before launch, or August 18th.

[eeergo]

Four major burns are needed after TLI for Orion to achieve the distant retrograde orbit; then another pair to get back to Earth.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Rollout for launch expected 11 days before launch, or August 18th.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1549781393370218496

Interesting point from the briefing: if they roll out in August but don’t launch by Sept. 5, they have to roll back to the VAB to service the flight termination system, and may not be able to complete that & roll out in time for the next launch window (Sept. 20 _ Oct. 4)

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1549782692794961924

Why does NASA only have 20 days to launch after activating the flight termination system? Answer is that FTS must be independent of rocket, operating on its own battery power. Those batteries have a limited lifetime. And since there is no fail safe, it is conservative.

[eeergo]

[HOUSKEEPING NOTE]
This can be deleted whenever it's addressed, but I would like to note that the current HLV subforum may be confusing for newcomers: the "Missions to the Moon" section should have been for a while now where the threads concerning Artemis I and beyond are placed, but they somehow have been left in the heritage "HLV" section from the Constellation days (including Direct, Shuttle-derived HLVs and others... ) even after the program is about to launching its first mission to the Moon.
In fact, the "Missions to the Moon" section's description reads: "Forum section dedicated on HSF Missions To The Moon (EM-1 etc)". As well all know, Exploration Mission-1 is the technical designation of Artemis I before the program had a proper name.
[/HOUSEKEEPING NOTE]

[Khadgars]

Awesome!  That puts roll-out for first launch attempt in about 4 weeks 

[Overwatchfan123]

I can't wait for rollout and launch. I've been waiting since July 2016 for Artemis I to launch.

[Targeteer]

July 21, 2022
MEDIA ADVISORY M22-101

Ahead of the Artemis I flight test, NASA is inviting media to its Johnson Space Center in Houston Friday, Aug. 5, for a detailed mission briefing and a behind-the-scenes look at facilities that will enable a long-term human presence at the Moon.

NASA is currently targeting no earlier than Monday, Aug. 29, for the launch of the Space Launch System rocket to send the Orion spacecraft around the Moon and back to Earth. The mission will take place over the course of about six weeks to check out systems before crew fly aboard on Artemis II.

The media day will feature mission support facilities, trainers, and hardware for future Artemis missions, as well as interview opportunities with program leaders, flight directors, astronauts, scientists, and engineers. It also will feature tours and activities in unique facilities at Johnson.

U.S. media interested in participating in person at Johnson must contact the Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m. Friday, July 29, by calling: 281-483-5111 or emailing: [email protected]. International media must contact the Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 26.

Planned activities include:

    In-depth mission briefing – Discuss the Artemis I mission profile with flight directors and mission experts. The briefing also will air on NASA TV and media may ask questions by phone. NASA will share the briefing time and details to join by phone at a later date.

    Artemis mission control – Chat with flight directors, engineers and astronauts while in the control room that will be used throughout the Artemis I mission.

    Space Vehicle Mockup Facility – View a full scale version of the Orion crew module used for training and an Orion launch and entry suit that will be worn by astronauts on future Artemis missions.

    Systems Engineering Simulator – Preview the first Artemis lunar surface excursions in a new virtual reality trainer that is preparing future moonwalkers for extravehicular lunar surface operations.

    Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory – Learn about the latest hardware and ongoing testing in one of the world’s largest swimming pools to support Artemis missions.

    Gateway high-fidelity hardware mockup fabrication facility – Tour a high-fidelity mockup of Gateway’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost module where Artemis astronauts will live and work during future Artemis missions.

    Additional interview opportunities – Speak with experts from various programs at Johnson that support NASA’s Artemis missions, including the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program and the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test, the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars.

For updates, follow along on NASA’s Artemis blog at:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis

-end-
    

Press Contacts

Kathryn Hambleton
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
[email protected]

Gary Jordan
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
[email protected]

[zubenelgenubi]

SFN Launch Schedule, updated July 21:
Two hours launch window: 12:33-14:33 UTC = 8:33-10:33 am EDT.

[Vahe231991]

SFN Launch Schedule, updated July 21:
Two hours launch window: 12:33-14:33 UTC = 8:33-10:33 am EDT.

I've read that the proper time of day for the first launch of SLS has been contingent upon the alignment of the Earth and Moon, so how does the tentative time of day for August 29 correlate with the Earth-Moon alignment for that day?

[kdhilliard]

... how does the tentative time of day for August 29 correlate with the Earth-Moon alignment for that day?

I've not seen the details explained anywhere.

FWIW, plugging LC-39B's location into mooncalc.org, I get the following moonrise times and range of lunar altitude and azimuth for the three launch dates and windows.  (Times in EDT = UTC-4):
2022-08-29 Launch: 08:33—10:33  Moonrise: 08:58  Altitude: -6°—+19°  Azimuth: 084—099 (Waxing crescent/5%)
2022-09-02 Launch: 12:48—14:48  Moonrise: 12:59  Altitude: -3°—+19°  Azimuth: 112—129 (Waxing crescent/39%)
2022-09-05 Launch: 17:12—18:42  Moonrise: 16:17  Altitude: +9°—+22°  Azimuth: 128—143 (Waxing gibbous/74%)

The moon ranges from being slightly below the horizon to low on the horizon during the launch windows.
I've not heard an explanation for why the third launch window is half an hour shorter than the other two.
(Edited to add that 30 minutes before the start of that final, shorter window, the moon is +4° @ 124.)

[Targeteer]

July 27, 2022
MEDIA ADVISORY M22-105
NASA to Host Briefings to Preview Artemis I Moon Mission

NASA will host a pair of briefings on Wednesday, Aug. 3, and Friday, Aug. 5, to preview the upcoming Artemis I lunar mission. The agency is currently targeting no earlier than Monday, Aug. 29, for the launch of the Space Launch System rocket to send the Orion spacecraft around the Moon and back to Earth. The mission will take place over the course of about six weeks to check out systems before crew fly aboard on Artemis II.

The first briefing will provide an overview of the Artemis I mission, and the second briefing will dive deeper into the Artemis I mission timeline and spacecraft operations. Both briefings will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, the agency’s website.

Briefing participants include (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, Aug. 3

11 a.m. – Artemis I mission overview briefing with the following participants:

    NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
    Bhavya Lal, associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy, NASA Headquarters
    Mike Sarafin, Artemis I mission manager, NASA Headquarters
    Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis I launch director, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
    John Honeycutt, Space Launch System program manager, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
    Howard Hu, Orion program manager, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston

This event will air live on NASA TV and media may join by telephone to ask questions. To participate by phone, media must send their full name, media affiliation, email address, and phone number no later than two hours prior to the start of the event to: [email protected].

Friday, Aug. 5

11:30 a.m. – Artemis I detailed mission briefing with the following participants:

    Debbie Korth, Orion program deputy manager, NASA Johnson
    Rick LaBrode, lead Artemis I flight director, NASA Johnson
    Judd Frieling, Artemis I ascent/entry flight director, NASA Johnson
    Melissa Jones, Artemis I recovery director, NASA Kennedy
    Reid Wiseman, chief astronaut, NASA Johnson
    Philippe Deloo, Orion European Service Module program manager, ESA (European Space Agency)

This event will air live on NASA TV and media may participate in person at Johnson or by phone. To participate in the briefings by phone, media must contact the Johnson newsroom by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4. U.S. media interested in participating in person at Johnson must contact the Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m. Friday, July. 29, by calling: 281-483-5111 or emailing: [email protected].

Along with the briefings, NASA will host an Artemis I media day at Johnson Friday, Aug. 5, to showcase Artemis I mission hardware and offer interviews. Media attending will get an in-person look at development mockups, design simulators, flight control operations, and hardware in development for lunar exploration.

Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test, the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon.

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis I mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i/

-end-

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/jimfree/status/1553131324269117440

We continue to target the #Artemis I launch for no earlier than Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT during a 2-hour window. Teams continue to progress through first time operations and have planned for additional opportunities on Sept. 2 & Sept. 5 if needed. go.nasa.gov/3PMnJ4w

[Jim]

Artemis I Press kit

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i-press-kit/img/Artemis%20I_Press%20Kit.pdf

Nothing like the shuttle ones.

[hektor]

https://twitter.com/shaunthesheep/status/1552972203657809920?s=20