NASA Artemis 1 moon mission to be tracked from right here in UK

The launch of the unmanned rocket is the first stage in sending humans back to the moon

Author: Nina Massey, PA and Emma HartPublished 29th Aug 2022
Last updated 29th Aug 2022

The UK is tracking the first stage of a NASA mission to send astronauts back to the moon.

Artemis 1 is due to lift-off from America's Kennedy Space Centre on Monday 29th August and will be monitored from Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall.

The flight is the first in the agency's Artemis programme and will be uncrewed this time.

But there will be astronauts on board for subsequent missions, with the first manned flight into space scheduled for 2024.

NASA expects the first Artemis astronauts to land on the moon in 2025.

Scroll down to read more about Goonhilly's role and how you can keep tabs on the mission.

The Artemis 1 mission will see the first launch of the new 322ft tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which the agency says is the world's most powerful rocket to date.

It will take the Orion capsule, powered by the Airbus-built European Service Module (ESM), into the moon's orbit.

Airbus engineer Sian Cleaver is industrial manager for the ESM and, as a child, dreamt about being involved in human spaceflight before getting a master's degree in physics and astronomy from Durham University.

She told the PA news agency: "I'm ridiculously excited, and I think everybody on the team is.

“There's years and years of a labour of love into this project.

"This is the first time that we will have seen one of our European service modules flying in space and going to the moon.

"I think a lot of us couldn't quite believe it – we've now got the go for launch.

"Now, I think it’s really sinking in that this is reality, this is happening, and it's going to really start this whole new chapter of space exploration, and going to the moon.

"We’re on the brink of something really exciting now".

Ms Cleaver explained that last time humans went to the moon – some 50 years ago – it was about proving that it could be done whereas the new mission is about proving people can go there for longer and more sustainably.

It will also assess whether some infrastructure can be built on and around the moon, allowing humans to survive on another planetary body.

Now in her 30s, Ms Cleaver first visited the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida – where the launch has been given a window from 1.33pm (BST) on Monday – when she was just eight years old.

Her role in building the ESM involved making sure that all of the equipment and the subsystems came together at exactly the right time.

Speaking of attending the launch, she said: "I am so excited to be there.

"It is going to be, for me personally, a really special moment to be back there after so long. And now to actually work in the space industry, I still haven’t quite got my head around it really, that I’ve achieved something that I wanted to do since I was 15 or so".

She added: "It's pretty amazing that even at this stage of my career – 10 years into Airbus – that I'm working on essentially my dream mission".

The mission duration is 42 days, 3 hours, 20 minutes, and in total it will travel 1.3 million miles, before splashing down on October 10th.

The UK is part of the Artemis programme, making contributions to the Lunar Gateway – a space station currently in development with the European Space Agency – working alongside the US, Europe, Canada and Japan.

What is Goonhilly's role in the mission?

The site on Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula will track the uncrewed Orion capsule and, alongside partner ESA, communicate with a number of small satellites being launched on the mission.

Goonhilly is the world’s only commercial deep space ground station. In 1969 the site was responsible for distributing live satellite feeds of the Apollo Moon landing to people around the world. Now, as organisations across the globe embark on a new dawn of lunar and deep space exploration, Goonhilly is positioned to provide tracking and communication support for key lunar and deep space missions; partnering with both private companies and space agencies.

Over the past year, Goonhilly has supported ESA's Mars Express, Gaia and Integral missions, communicating with the satellites in deep space as they complete their scientific objectives.

Now, the site is strengthening the UK's position as an international space power through its contributions to NASA’s pioneering Artemis programme.

The first in a series of missions, Artemis 1 will send an uncrewed Orion capsule in orbit around the Moon and back to test systems and procedures ahead of a crewed flight in 2024.

Goonhilly will track the capsule, demonstrating their ability to support future, crewed NASA missions to the Moon and beyond. Their GHY-6 deep space antenna will receive radio signals from the spacecraft, which will travel up to 448,000 km away from Earth over a 6-week period.

Ian Jones, CEO of Goonhilly, said: "Being asked to participate in this landmark NASA mission as one of the key ground stations is an immense privilege for all of us at Goonhilly. Both NASA and ESA are moving towards a commercial model for lunar communications and Goonhilly is the world's only facility that is set up, qualified and ready to provide this service.

"Our team has worked tremendously hard over the last several years to get us to this position. Our experienced operators have been working closely with the various lunar missions that will be carried onboard Artemis 1.

"As well as the excitement of returning humans to the moon, this new chapter demonstrates the validity of the commercial business model developed at Goonhilly".

Libby Jackson, exploration science manager at the UK Space Agency, said: "The first launch of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket is an important step for the global space community as we prepare to return humans to the moon.

"The Artemis programme marks the next chapter of human space exploration and we look forward to continued involvement as it comes to life".

How can I watch NASA's Artemis 1 mission?

The Artemis 1 launch has been given a two-hour window, beginning at 1.33pm BST in the UK (8.33am EST in the USA) on Monday 29th August.

It will take place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and people will be able to watch the launch live on NASA's website or on NASA TV, which streams live on YouTube.

The Artemis 1 mission comes ahead of the UK's first space launch from Newquay later this year.

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