NORFOLK, Va. — 53 years ago, NASA put the first humans on the moon. On Monday morning, they will lay the ground work to go back.
NASA's Artemis 1 will launch from the Kennedy Space Center Monday between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., according to NASA's website.
"Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to return humans to the Moon and extend beyond," the website said.
Engineers at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton told 13News Now that the first two minutes of the launch took them 10 years of preparation.
NASA Langley was involved in designing and engineering many of the systems that make Artemis possible.
About the Mission:
The space craft carrying will launch from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It's scheduled to launch Monday, August 29, and the launch window is from 8:33 a.m. to 10:33 a.m.
The mission will last 42 days, 3 hours and 20 minutes and aim to reach a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon, NASA's website said.
The roughly 1.3 million mile mission will end on October 10 when the craft will reach a speed of up to 25,000 mph before slowing and touching down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
"During this flight, Orion will launch atop the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown," NASA's website said.
This first Artemis mission will demonstrate the performance of Orion and other systems that will be used to get humans back to the moon. The flight will pave the way for future missions that will include landing the first woman and person of color on the moon.
How to Watch:
The launch will stream on 13Newsnow.com as well as on the 13News Now Plus app.