The most spectacular is over, but the most exciting is beginning. The SLS rocket propelled the Artemis II crew towards the stars this Wednesday. Now, how can we follow this 10-day journey in real time? We give you the keys to not miss the lunar flyby.
Ultimately, the launch was a technical formality. The SLS (Space Launch System) worked like clockwork, it placed the Orion capsule in Earth orbit. You can watch this launch again in video, below, and in images on the NASA website.
On board, the crew, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, begin the first manned mission to the Moon since 1972. But once the plume of smoke has dissipated, how do we keep in touch?
NASA has gone all out on digital. To follow the adventure, the nerve center is called AROW (Artemis Real-time Orbit Website).
It is a tracking site that gives you the exact distance from Earth, the speed of the capsule and the elapsed mission time.
For images, the official NASA+ channels, YouTube and even Amazon Prime will broadcast the astronauts’ press briefings and videos.
- AROW (Artemis Real-time Orbit Website) : it is the nerve center. This tracking site gives you the exact distance from Earth, the speed of the capsule and the elapsed mission time. Track Orion in real time.
- The official NASA app: ideal for receiving critical notifications on your smartphone (iOS and Android). Download the app.
- NASA+ et YouTube : for live video feeds, astronaut sessions and daily press briefings.
- And at Numerama : with numerous articles on the subject.
A 10-day journey under high tension
Now that takeoff is successful, the program is precise. During the first 24 hours, Orion remains “close” to us to test the survival systems.
It is on the third day that the capsule will turn on its engines to rush towards the Moon. The moment of truth will come around the fifth day: the flight over the face cachée.
This is the riskiest step. For about 50 minutes, the Moon will block all communications with Earth. The crew will be completely autonomous, flying between 6,000 and 9,000 km from the surface. This is when they will have to capture new data before taking advantage of gravitational assistance to begin the return trip. No moon landing this time, but a full-scale reliability test.
And after? The real Artemis IV challenge
The problem is that this success does not mean that we will walk on the Moon tomorrow morning. NASA’s strategy has evolved. Artemis III, which was initially to be the landing mission, will ultimately serve as a general rehearsal in Earth orbit to test the new suits and transfer modules.
The first human foot on lunar soil since the last century is now expected Artemis IV.
The final objective remains the same: to establish a permanent base at the South Pole to counter Chinese ambitions, which are also targeting 2030 for their own taikonauts.
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