Despite prevailing rainy conditions and the launch vehicle being struck by lightning, NASA has officially begun the countdown to the Artemis I launch which is scheduled to happen in a two-hour launch window that starts at 6.03 PM IST on Monday, August 29. The space agency will provide coverage of pre-launch, launch and post-launch activities for Artemis I, which will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion spacecraft and their associated ground systems at the agency’s Kennedy Space Centre.
You can watch the launch live on the NASA app, on NASA Television, through the agency’s website or on the window right here below.
The uncrewed Artemis I mission will be the first in a series of increasingly complex missions and will provide a foundation to extend humanity’s reach to the Moon and beyond. Artemis I will demonstrate the performance and capabilities of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft over the course of a six-week-long mission as it goes on its approximately 65,000-kilometre mission to the Moon and back.
The live broadcast of the launch will also feature celebrity appearances by Jack black, Chris Evans, and Keke Palmer. There will also be a special performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the American national anthem, by American music artists Josh Groban and Herbie Hancock. Further, there will be a performance of “America the Beautiful” conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The schedule for the livestream on August 29 is as follows (All times in IST):
9.30 AM: Coverage begins with commentary of tanking operations to load propellant into the SLS rocket.
4.00 PM: Full coverage begins in English. Launch coverage will continue through translunar injection and spacecraft separation, setting Orion on its path to the Moon.
8.33 PM: Launch window begins
9.30 PM: Post-launch news conference. This broadcast timing is subject to change based on the exact liftoff time.
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