Countdown begins for launch of NASA's uncrewed Artemis I mission to the Moon

The Artemis I mission management team have polled "go" to proceed with the launch countdown. The countdown commenced at 10:23 a.m. EDT today, August 27, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 45 continue to predict a 70% chance of favourable weather conditions for the August 29 launch of Artemis I, an uncrewed voyage to the Moon.

The Artemis I mission is a test flight and the first in a series that will pave the way for a long-term lunar presence and serve as a stepping stone to sending astronauts to Mars.

The mission will be the first integrated test of NASA's mega Moon rocket - the Space Launch System (SLS) - and the Orion spacecraft. The key objective of the mission is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment.

During this flight test, NASA's Orion will fly farther from Earth than any human-rated vehicle has ever flown before. The spacecraft will perform a flyby of our natural satellite, using lunar gravity to gain speed and propel itself thousands of miles beyond the moon, almost half a million km from Earth.

The lift-off of the SLS rocket and integrated Orion spacecraft are targeted for 8:33 a.m. EDT on Monday, August 29, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Call to Stations: At approx. 9:53 am EDT, or L-46 hours, 40 minutes before the initial targeted T-0, the launch team arrived at their stations inside the Launch Control Center at @NASAKennedy. The countdown is now underway for the 1st Artemis I launch attempt, Aug. 29 at 8:33 am. pic.twitter.com/HYeFdqgyQu

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 27, 2022

(To be updated)