There was a Blood Moon on the rise recently, beckoning NASA’s rocket to join it in space.
Last week’s Blood Moon total lunar eclipse was visible over the Artemis 1 rocket on Nov. 8, making for an epic view of the mission’s eventual destination. Artemis 1 is scheduled to fly around the moon following a launch no earlier than Wednesday (Nov. 16) at 1:04 a.m. EST (0604), with the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket hefting the Orion spacecraft for a round-the-moon journey.
Both NASA and United Launch Alliance, which built the SLS, captured footage of the ruddy moon rising over the NASA Kennedy Space Center‘s Launch Pad 39B, where Artemis 1 is awaiting final approval for its launch.
NASA will provide an update on Monday (Nov. 14) around 6 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) on whether the agency is prepared to proceed into the final countdown. You can listen to the teleconference at Space.com and follow live updates about the mission.
Related: NASA delays Artemis 1 moon launch to Nov. 16 due to Tropical Storm Nicole
It has been a difficult week for the rocket, which was left on the launch pad as Tropical Storm Nicole, which arrived as a hurricane, swept through coastal Florida. Agency officials have maintained the rocket is safe to fly, despite having been subject to high winds and experiencing some minor damage during the storm.
The Artemis 1 stack has been back and forth between Launch Pad 39B and the Vehicle Assembly Building several times due to issues such as fuel leaks and the approach of another hurricane, Hurricane Ian. When the launch occurs, it will be the first mission in NASA’s Artemis program of lunar exploration.
Artemis aims to put boots on the moon in the 2020s. The current schedule calls for Artemis 2 launching in 2024 with astronauts on board to fly around the moon and Artemis 3 putting astronauts on the surface in 2025 or 2026.
Artemis 1 is expected to last 26 days if it launches on Wednesday. Orbital dynamics may change the length of the mission if it launches on other days. Current backup dates after Wednesday are Saturday (Nov. 19) and Nov. 25.
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book about space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).
