Artemis I
First integrated flight of Space Launch System and Orion around the Moon
Artemis I was the first integrated of NASA's Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and modernized lunar ground systems. The uncrewed mission sent Orion into a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon, tested its heat shield at lunar-return velocity, deployed ten deep-space , and concluded with a successful Pacific after 25 days.
Mission dossier
Flight profile, locations, hardware, and outcome in the same reference format used throughout the archive.
Flight profile
- Launch
- November 16, 2022
- Mission duration
- 25 days, 10 hours, 53 minutes
Places and recovery
- Destination
- Distant retrograde orbit around the Moon
Mission record
- Vehicle
- Orion spacecraft
- Launch vehicle
- Space Launch System Block 1
- Distance traveled
- Approximately 1.4 million miles
- Maximum distance from Earth
- Approximately 280,000 miles
- Reentry speed
- 24,581 mph (Mach 32)
- Mission type
- Uncrewed lunar
- Secondary payloads
- 10 six-unit
- Crew members
- 0
Mission Purpose
2 sources- Demonstrate Orion's heat shield during a high-speed lunar-return before committing astronauts to the spacecraft.
- Operate Space Launch System, Orion, Exploration Ground Systems, , communications, and recovery teams as one integrated exploration system.
- Exercise Orion navigation, propulsion, power, thermal control, communications, and deep-space operations throughout a lunar-distance mission.
- Deploy ten science and technology payloads from the Orion adapter after .
Planned Flight Plan
2 sources- Launch
First Space Launch System liftoff
SLS Block 1 launched Orion from Launch Complex 39B and the upper performed .
- Outbound flight
Orion systems checkout
Controllers tested Orion and the European while the spacecraft traveled beyond .
- Lunar operations
Distant retrograde orbit
Orion entered a stable distant retrograde lunar orbit for navigation, propulsion, thermal, power, and communications demonstrations.
- Return
Lunar-velocity
The crew module used a skip-entry profile, deployed parachutes, and splashed down for recovery in the Pacific Ocean.
Mission Timeline
2 sources- November 16, 2022
Launch
The first Space Launch System lifted off with Orion from Kennedy Space Center.
- November 21, 2022
Close lunar
Orion passed roughly 80 miles above the lunar surface while using the Moon's gravity to shape its distant retrograde orbit.
- November 25, 2022
Distant retrograde orbit
Orion entered its planned lunar orbit and continued integrated spacecraft testing.
- November 28, 2022
Maximum distance
Orion traveled approximately 280,000 miles from Earth, farther than any human-rated spacecraft had previously flown.
- December 11, 2022
Orion completed lunar-return and splashed down west of Baja California for recovery.
Open operation record