Full transcript
0:01Between 1968 and 1972, America launched 9 human missions to the Moon, 6 of which successfully
0:08touched down, allowing 12 men to walk on the lunar surface.
0:12NASA's next chapter of lunar exploration, called Artemis, has the task of not just going
0:18to the Moon, to create a long-term human presence on and around it, but also to prepare for
0:24ever-more-complex human missions to Mars.
0:27In short, everything we must be able to do here, we must first do here.
0:33So, what will an Artemis mission look like?
0:38Everything is designed and tested with our most important element in mind: the astronauts.
0:44This is their deep space, human-rated spacecraft called Orion, built in 3 parts: the crew module,
0:50where up to 4 astronauts will live and work throughout the flight; the service module,
0:54with life support systems for the crew and its own engine and fuel reserves; and a launch
0:58abort system, with engines capable of pulling the crew module to safety during launch, should
1:03anything go wrong.
1:04To accomplish the task of launching our crew and heavy payloads, NASA is building the Space
1:09Launch System, comprising of a cargo hold, an Exploration Upper Stage, a massive core
1:14stage and 2 extended solid rocket boosters.
1:16All together, this is the world's most powerful rocket.
1:20And it exceeds the legendary Saturn V of the Apollo era in numerous ways.
1:25Sitting on the launch pad, the entire rocket, fully fueled, weighs just over 6 million pounds,
1:305.2 million of which is just the fuel.
1:33Once ignited, there is no stopping what comes next.
1:37All 4 RS-25 engines and the 2 solid rocket boosters come to life, thundering our crew
1:43upwards.
1:44Two minutes after ignition, the solid rocket boosters are spent and released.
1:47Eight minutes after launch, the core stage is depleted and separated.
1:52The upper stage fires briefly, placing Orion into a parking orbit around the Earth.
1:57Here, the crew reconfigure the spacecraft and check systems to confirm everything is
2:01ready for deep space travel.
2:03With a "go" from Mission Control, the crew reignite the Exploration Upper Stage engines
2:09to leave Earth entirely.The exact timing of this maneuever is critical to reach a speed
2:14that can escape Earth's gravitational pull, but also put Orion on a course that will intersect
2:19the Moon days later.
2:22Once this burn is complete, the upper stage of the SLS is jettisoned and the crew on board
2:26Orion coast for several days toward all that awaits them at the Moon.
2:31Approaching the Moon, we see the fundamental differences between Artemis and Apollo.
2:36Instead of requiring Orion to serve as an expendable lunar command module or carry a
2:40constrained lunar lander, the Artemis missions will take advantage of a different approach:
2:45pre-staging.
2:47Everything needed for lunar missions will be positioned in advance by commercial and
2:50international partners.
2:52This includes rovers, science experiments and human-rated systems on the surface.
2:56But it also includes a dedicated lunar station in orbit around the Moon, called Gateway.
3:01Here at the station, we can pre-stage a robust lunar lander and establish a strong communications
3:07relay.
3:09Designed with open standards, the Gateway can be expanded as new missions and partnerships
3:13develop, allowing multiple human missions on the Moon at the same time, and enabling
3:17ongoing science to be conducted even between human missions.
3:21The Gateway is also capable of adjusting its orbit to allow access to every part of the
3:26Moon, something the Apollo missions could not do.
3:28But the real key in this approach is placing Gateway in a unique halo orbit to perfect
3:33the maneuvers needed for Mars missions.
3:35And, with a growing list of commercial and international opportunities, Gateway is the
3:41ideal hub between Earth and all that lies beyond.
3:44Returning to our crew as they approach Gateway, the Orion must match the elliptical orbit
3:49of the station in order to successfully dock.
3:51Once on board, preselected crew members transfer to the lunar lander while those assigned to
3:56Gateway remain on station.
3:57The lunar lander system itself is built for 3 unique steps: descending from the halo orbit
4:04of Gateway down to a low lunar orbit; descending from low lunar orbit to the surface; and once
4:10the lunar mission is complete, launching from the surface of the Moon and ascending all
4:14the way back to the orbiting Gateway.
4:22Once back aboard the Orion spacecraft and undocked from Gateway, the crew fire their
4:26engines to break out of the halo orbit and once again to sling the spacecraft around
4:32the Moon, placing it on a multi-day trajectory back towards Earth.
4:37As they near the end of this journey, the service module is released and the crew module
4:42is oriented heat shield-first.
4:44Entering Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour, the friction of air slows Orion
4:49considerably, while also subjecting it to temperatures of 5,000 degrees.
4:54With the Orion now at just 300 miles per hour, a series of parachutes uniquely tested and
5:00produced for this moment deploy, decelerating the craft to just 20 miles per hour for splashdown.
5:07With each successful mission, Artemis ushers in the next wave of men and women to explore
5:14our Moon.
5:15And proves that together, we're ready to go beyond.