Moon mission Artemis 1: Countdown was interrupted shortly before - Nasa shares the first pictures

Created: 2022-11-19 04:47

By: Momir Takac, Bettina Menzel, Patrick Freiwah

Nasa moon mission "Artemis 1" is running: The "Space Launch System" rocket starts at the Cape Canaveral spaceport.

© picture alliance/dpa/AP |

John Raoux

The moon mission Artemis 1 has not been under a good star so far.

On Wednesday, the Nasa rocket finally launched into space.

Information and background information in the news ticker.

• Malfunction also shortly before rocket launch: Countdown had to be interrupted.

• Artemis 1 mission started today: Nasa rocket is on its way to the moon.

• The Artemis 1 moon mission has had to be postponed several times due to various problems.

• This

  news ticker

  about the rocket launch of the

  Artemis 1

  from the Cape Canaveral spaceport is continuously updated.

Update from November 17, 6:22 a.m .:

50 years ago people last set foot on the moon – on Wednesday a rocket was launched again to the moon.

However, it is only an unmanned test flight.

He is part of the Artemis mission of the US space agency Nasa, which plans to land astronauts on the moon again in a few years, including a woman and a non-white person for the first time.

In the long term, people should also be brought to Mars.

On Wednesday, NASA shared the first images of the mission.

"As Orion begins the Artemis mission to the moon, the spacecraft will capture these stunning images of our home planet," the US space agency wrote on Twitter.

According to Nasa, Orion will travel a total of around 1.3 million miles (2 million kilometers), making it fly further than any other spacecraft designed for human flight. 

A "selfie" of Orion on Tuesday, November 16, 2022. © IMAGO/NASA/Zuma Wire

Nasa moon mission starts on Wednesday: Unmanned capsule "Orion" takes off

Update from November 16, 11 a.m.:

After months of postponement, the crisis-ridden Nasa moon mission "Artemis 1" finally started on Wednesday.

With the rocket "Space Launch System" the unmanned capsule "Orion" took off from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome in the US state of Florida, as shown in live images from the US space agency Nasa.

"Orion" is to be in orbit around the moon for around three weeks before the capsule is expected to return to earth on December 11th.

"Speechless," tweeted the German astronaut Alexander Gerst at the start.

With the "Artemis" program, named after the Greek goddess of the moon, US astronauts are to land on the moon again in the coming years, for the first time a woman and a non-white person.

The "Artemis 1" launch that has now taken place is intended to prepare for manned flights.

The European Space Agency Esa and space agencies from several other countries are involved.

The mission was ill-fated for a long time: after delays and skyrocketing costs in development and construction, the first test launch had to be postponed numerous times - partly because of two consecutive storms and technical problems.

The first manned launch is currently planned for 2025 at the earliest.

"Artemis II" is said to have a crew of four on board and orbit the moon, with "Artemis III" finally landing people on the moon again.

Moon mission Artemis 1 is running: Rocket launch finally successful - just before the start there was a breakdown

Update from November 16, 8:19 a.m .:

The launch of the SLS rocket to the moon also had to be interrupted shortly before take-off.

After problems refueling with liquid hydrogen, Nasa stopped the countdown ten minutes before the start.

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Apparently there had been a leak from an intake valve that had to be repaired.

At 1:35 a.m. local time (7:35 a.m. CET), the mechanics gave the go-ahead after problems with a radar had also been fixed.

The countdown started again three minutes later.

Artemis 1 mission launched today: NASA rocket with unmanned capsule on its way to the moon

Update from November 16, 7:51 a.m .:

The mission of the US space agency "Artemis 1" has begun.

The rocket with the unmanned capsule "Orion" took off

1:48 a.m. local time (7:48 a.m. CET) from the US spaceport in Cape Canaveral for the test flight.

Nasa showed the start live in a stream.

Moon mission Artemis 1 started: Nasa rocket starts today

Update from November 16, 7:28 a.m .:

Now it should finally work.

Several attempts had previously failed to launch the Artemis 1 unmanned lunar mission.

Today, Wednesday (November 16), the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is finally due to leave the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the US state of Florida and take an Orion capsule into space.

The US space agency Nasa defined a two-hour time window for the start, which begins at 1:04 a.m. local time (7:04 a.m. CET).

Artemis 1: Next rocket launch Wednesday, November 16th

First report from November 15, 2022

- Cape Canaveral - Again there were problems with the space project Artemis 1, which is important for the USA, as a result of which the rocket launch had to be postponed again.

Because of another approaching storm, Nasa has again canceled the planned test launch for its crisis-ridden moon mission, this time only by two days.

Instead of November 14, the date was moved to November 16.

The rocket system for the unmanned test flight to the moon will remain at the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and will not be rolled back into the hangar.

Storm Nicole also hit Florida late last week, wreaking havoc in parts of the United States.

The time window for the rocket launch begins shortly after 7 a.m. (CET) on Wednesday and is estimated to last two hours. NASA, among others, is broadcasting the space event live in a video stream:

Artemis space program: US astronauts want to return to the moon

The mission has not been under a good star so far: After delays and exploding costs in development and construction, the first test launch had to be postponed several times - among other things due to technical problems and at the end of September due to hurricane "Ian".

With the Artemis program, named after the Greek goddess of the moon, US astronauts are supposed to land on the moon again in the coming years, for the first time a woman and a non-white person.