Artemis 1: NASA Launches Mega Rocket To The Moon

NASA is counting down to lift-off of its new Moon mega rocket - the Space Launch System.

The Artemis project aims to send humans back to the moon following a 50-year hiatus.

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A test capsule, called Orion, will be propelled far from Earth on Monday and is expected to loop around the Moon before returning back to earth in six-weeks with a splash landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Although Orion is uncrewed for this flight, a human-like test dummy will be strapped to the commander’s seat, rigged with vibration and acceleration sensors.

The “commander”, named Moonikin Campos will be accompanied by two other limbless mannequins made of material simulating human tissue will allow Nasa to evaluate its next-generation spacesuits and radiation levels.

A Snoopy soft toy also forms a part of the crew and will float around the capsule as a zero-gravity indicator.

The test dummies will be harnessed with ‘Official Flight Kits, containing thousands of items, many of which will be “flown in space” including seeds, mission patches, stickers, USB drives and more.

Meanwhile real-life astronauts will endeavour to be a part of history in a series of missions, starting in 2024.

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