First Step for Humanity's Return to the Moon... Artemis 1 Launches Today

US NASA Enters Final Stage Including Fueling at 5 PM on the 15th (Local Time)
Launch Scheduled Within 2 Hours After 3:34 PM on the 16th
Milestone for Resuming Manned Lunar Exploration After 2025
Focus on Overcoming Final Challenges Like Liquid Hydrogen Leak

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Humanity's second moon landing project, Artemis (the goddess of the moon), takes its first step today.

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch Artemis 1, the first phase of humanity's second moon landing project, from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at around 1 a.m. on the 16th (local time).

Artemis 1 is the first phase of the 'Artemis Project' for manned lunar exploration after more than 50 years. The main goal is to verify the performance and reliability of the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, the Space Launch System (SLS), and the manned capsule 'Orion spacecraft' designed for lunar exploration. The SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft on its upper stage and place it into lunar orbit. Instead of humans, a mannequin will be onboard the Orion spacecraft, which will orbit the moon and return to Earth after 26 days.

NASA plans to launch Artemis 2 in 2024, carrying four crew members, to repeat the same process and verify safety. Based on these results, Artemis 3 is scheduled for 2025 to conduct humanity's second manned lunar landing mission. There is particular interest as two astronauts who will descend to the moon aboard the lander will prioritize women and people of color. Among the Artemis astronaut candidates currently in training is Johnny Kim, of Korean descent.

NASA conducted six manned lunar exploration missions from Apollo 11 in 1969 until 1972. The missions were halted due to the end of the Cold War and budget cuts. Recently, with the confirmation of water on the moon and the need to establish bases for resource development and Mars exploration, manned lunar exploration has resumed. NASA believes water exists in the form of ice underground in the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar south pole and plans to mine it for rocket fuel, base construction, and maintenance.

NASA also developed the SLS, the most powerful launch vehicle in human history, at a cost of about $20 billion (28 trillion won). It measures a staggering 98 meters in length. Although it is more than 10 meters shorter than the Saturn V (110 meters) used during the Apollo lunar exploration program in the 1960s and 1970s, its thrust is more powerful, capable of producing over 15% more thrust.

NASA began the launch countdown at 1:54 a.m. on the 14th. The U.S. Space Force Weather Squadron forecasted an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch. NASA will broadcast the launch live on NASA TV starting at 10:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. Korean time), about two and a half hours before the launch.

Space.com, a space-specialized media outlet, reported, "The success of the Artemis 1 launch will be a milestone for manned lunar exploration planned for the late 2020s," adding, "The main goals are to launch 10 scientific missions including CubeSats and to place the Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.