Boosters Ignition! The big orange rocket finally launched on November 16th at 1:47am EST at the Kennedy Space Center located in Florida. We all went through trials and tribulations to get this beast off the ground.
This stunning launch created 8.8 million pounds of thrust as well as a spectacular light show being seen for up to 50 miles away. Neighborhoods in Orlando reported the sky being lit up like the sun was starting to rise. No matter where you watched this launch from, albiet at night, you were sure to take away some form of unique shock from this historic launch event.
The mission of course was to send an uncrewed space craft called the Orion out to the moons sphere of influence and return to the Earth with a splashdown. All of this is necessary to test out every key function and ability of the Orion. The rocket to propel this craft is called the Space Launch System. The SLS was impressive enough seeing it out on the launch pad multiple times suffering from failed wet dress rehearsals and hydrogen leaks on previous launch attempts. Even more impressive was seeing finally scrurry off the pad at Launch Complex 39-B
Apollo 4 All Over Again!
For those versed in all things vintage space, this mission parallels the 1967 Apollo IV mission which did the same thing as Artemis 1. The full rocket and spacecraft was tested all at once. They had a term for this back then. It was called all-up testing. This is when testing is not incremental, such as the current testing of Gwen Shotwells' Space X rocket Starship.
This launch creates a couple of notable things. The first thing is the launch of the SLS brings back nostalgic memories of what older people went through during the space race in the 1960s. The second thing is it brings history alive to the current generation so that they may feel the power and excitement that the Apollo era was.
The Worlds Brightest Rocket To ever Launch Into Orbit
Not only did this launch break records new and old, there was one interesting feat that occurred that most people are not talking about. Believe it or not, the launch of the Space Launch System was the brightest successful launch on record that has ever occurred in the world. Scott Manley talks about his in this great piece on Youtube.
The solid rocket boosters are responsible for this brightness factor. These motors have tons of particulate matter that burn extremely bright. This would be why your fireworks are bright, even can be seen during the day.
Night turned into day as these SRBs burned its 5 segment booster to its full glory. People at the press site were seen lit up like it was pre sunset hour! Serious space flight is what we cover here at Vintage Space, and this launch did not disappoint, and that is an understatement.
Photo Credit: Trevor Mahlmann
This launch is great and all, but does it stop here? Great news for all of you! There are more missions in the works for the Artemis program. Currently the hardware is being built for the next 3 Artemis missions. Artemis II is almost fully manufactured. These parts are littered across the United States, but will eventually make its way to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
