Around the Moon with NASA’s First Launch of SLS with Orion
Artemis I was the first integrated flight test of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the upgraded Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Astronauts and astronaut candidates from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency pose for a photograph in front of NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on the pad at Launch Complex 39B on Aug. 28, 2022.
NASA
Mission Facts
Launch date: Nov. 16, 2022
Mission duration: 25 days, 10 hours, 53 minutes
Total distance traveled: 1.4 million miles
Re-entry speed: 24,581 mph (Mach 32)
Splashdown: Dec. 11, 2022
Learn More and Get Involved
Artemis I Map
During this flight, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft launched on the Space Launch System rocket and traveled thousands of miles beyond the Moon, over the course of about a three-week mission. Take a look at the map here.
Space Launch System Rocket
NASA’s Space Launch System, or SLS, is a super-heavy-lift rocket that provides the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. With its unprecedented power and capabilities, SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and cargo to the Moon on a single mission.
Orion Spacecraft
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is built to take humans farther than they’ve ever gone before. Orion will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.
Exploration Ground Systems
NASA's Exploration Ground Systems process and launch rockets and spacecraft for Artemis missions, and also recover the crew and spacecraft when they splash down in the Pacific Ocean after they return from the Moon.
STEM Learning Path
Share the excitement of the Artemis I mission with learners of all ages with the Artemis I STEM Learning Pathway.
Draw Artemis
Download and create Artemis illustrations of your own. Decorate your space with the systems that will take us to the Moon and beyond!
Media Resources
Media resources for NASA's Artemis I mission are included here. Resources include video, imagery, briefing, and relevant points of contact.
With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before and collaborating with commercial and international partners to establish a long-term presence on the Moon.
Artemis II
Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, building on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022 and demonstrating a broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions.
Humans to Mars
Mars remains our horizon goal for human exploration because it is one of the only other places we know where life may have existed in the solar system. What we learn about the Red Planet will tell us more about Earth’s past and future, and may help answer whether life exists beyond our home planet.
Moon to Mars Architecture
We’re designing a roadmap for long-term exploration of the lunar surface, our first steps on the Red Planet, and the journey beyond, working with our partners in industry, academia, and the international community.
