The future for space travel starts Monday morning

“And soon, we are going back to the moon as Artemis. We are going to learn to live in a hostile environment, and then it’s on to Mars in the late 2030s,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson back in March of this year.

“Soon” is right around the corner as Artemis 1 is set for liftoff Monday morning. The 25-and-a-half day mission will build the foundation for deep space exploration as scientists learn about the journey to the moon and then eventually Mars.

“It will be carrying this Orion spacecraft and this flight coming up soon, if all goes well, will have nobody aboard but lots of instruments to see what the ride is like and then if this goes well the next Artemis flight will have humans aboard,” mentioned Steve Fentress the Director of the Strasenburgh Planetarium.

Artemis 1 is a new heavy lift rocket used with as many space shuttle parts as possible, and with the advancement in technology there are so many more ways to watch and learn.

Steve said, “”There are just so many more ways to be in it now. There are so many more camera’s, there are so many more channels. You can watch the major networks, you can watch your favorite YouTuber. There are going to be camera’s all over this rocket, all over the launch pad. We have all these different companies like SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Virgin Orbit that are also flying into space with fantastic views. So there are just so many ways to participate now that didn’t exist decades ago.”

Artemis 2 will follow if all goes well, and prove that the Orion spacecraft can provide critical life systems for deep space travel. The Strasenburgh Planetarium will be providing you a chance to view the Artemis 1 launch on Monday morning. For more information in regards to the Strasenburgh Planetarium Artemis 1 viewing click here.