Artemis Takes Flight: NASA's New Moon Rocket Launches on Historic Test Mission

On August 29, 2022, NASA's powerful new 322-foot-tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft blasted off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B on the uncrewed Artemis I test flight. This launch marks the first integrated flight of NASA's deep space exploration systems, paving the way for future crewed missions to the Moon under the Artemis program. During the multi-week test mission, Orion will orbit the Moon and return to Earth, demonstrating critical technologies needed for sustainable lunar exploration. Artemis I ushers in a new era of human spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit.