NASA's new rocket on launchpad for trip to Moon / Photo: © NASA/AFP
-
15 potential successors to Pope Francis
-
The papabili - 15 potential successors to Pope Francis
-
Zhao sets up all-China clash after beating 2024 world snooker finalist Jones
-
Ostapenko stuns Sabalenka to win Stuttgart title
-
Argentina mourns loss of papal son
-
African leaders praise Pope Francis's 'legacy of compassion'
-
Mehidy's five wickets help Bangladesh fight back in first Zimbabwe Test
-
'The voice of god': Filipinos wrestle with death of Pope Francis
-
Prayers, disbelief in East Timor after Pope Francis death
-
Real Madrid hold minute's silence as La Liga mourns Pope Francis
-
World leaders pay tribute to Pope Francis, dead at 88
-
World leaders react to the death of Pope Francis
-
Zimbabwe lead first Test despite Bangladesh spinner Mehidy's five wickets
-
Vatican postpones sainthood for 'God's influencer' after pope's death
-
Pope's death prompts CONI to call for sporting postponements, minute's silence
-
Stunned and sad, faithful gather at St Peter's to remember Francis
-
Asian scam centre crime gangs expanding worldwide: UN
-
Davos meet founder Klaus Schwab steps down from WEF board
-
Himalayan snow at 23-year low, threatening 2 billion people: report
-
The beautiful game: Pope Francis's passion for football
-
Clerical sex abuse: Pope Francis's thorniest challenge
-
Pope Francis's delicate ties with politics in Argentina
-
Russia resumes attacks on Ukraine after Easter truce
-
Pope Francis has died aged 88
-
Gaza civil defence describes medic killings as 'summary executions'
-
Francis: radical leader who broke the papal mould
-
Oscar stars, Max keeps mum, Sainz alive - Saudi GP talking points
-
Iyer, Kishan win back India contracts as Pant's deal upgraded
-
Vance lands in India for tough talks on trade
-
Inside South Africa's wildlife CSI school helping to catch poachers
-
Nigerian Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti takes a look inward
-
Kim Kardashian: From sex tape to Oval Office via TV and Instagram
-
Vance in India for tough talks on trade
-
Thunder crush Grizzlies as Celtics, Cavs and Warriors win
-
Vance heads to India for tough talks on trade
-
China slams 'appeasement' of US as nations rush to secure trade deals
-
'Grandpa robbers' go on trial for Kardashian heist in Paris
-
Swede Lindblad gets first win in just third LPGA start
-
Gold hits record, dollar drops as tariff fears dampen sentiment
-
As Dalai Lama approaches 90, Tibetans weigh future
-
US defense chief shared sensitive information in second Signal chat: US media
-
Swede Lingblad gets first win in just third LPGA start
-
South Korea ex-president back in court for criminal trial
-
Thunder crush Grizzlies, Celtics and Cavs open NBA playoffs with wins
-
Beijing slams 'appeasement' of US in trade deals that hurt China
-
Trump in his own words: 100 days of quotes
-
Padres say slugger Arraez 'stable' after scary collision
-
Trump tariffs stunt US toy imports as sellers play for time
-
El Salvador offers to swap US deportees with Venezuela
-
Higgo holds on for win after Dahmen's late collapse
NYSE - LSE
| GSK | 0.46% | 36.095 | $ | |
| CMSC | -0.6% | 21.69 | $ | |
| BTI | 0.43% | 42.555 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.92% | 21.76 | $ | |
| RIO | -0.12% | 58.1 | $ | |
| BP | -1.94% | 27.78 | $ | |
| NGG | 0.55% | 72.511 | $ | |
| BCC | -2.42% | 91.262 | $ | |
| AZN | -0.21% | 67.45 | $ | |
| RBGPF | 0% | 63.45 | $ | |
| SCS | -2.85% | 9.49 | $ | |
| RYCEF | -0.96% | 9.41 | $ | |
| JRI | -0.4% | 12.35 | $ | |
| RELX | 0.25% | 52.33 | $ | |
| BCE | 0.52% | 22.155 | $ | |
| VOD | -0.38% | 9.275 | $ |
NASA's new rocket on launchpad for trip to Moon
NASA's giant new SLS rocket arrived at its launchpad Wednesday in Cape Canaveral ahead of a planned flight to the Moon in less than two weeks.
It will be the maiden voyage of the Artemis program -- America's quest to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the last Apollo mission in 1972.
The Artemis 1 mission, an uncrewed test flight, will feature the first blastoff of the Space Launch System rocket, which will be the most powerful in the world.
It will propel the Orion crew capsule into orbit around the Moon, and the spacecraft will remain in space for 42 days before returning to Earth.
Starting in 2024, astronauts will travel aboard Orion for the same trip, and the following year, at the earliest, Americans will once again set foot on the Moon.
The SLS rocket, in development for more than a decade, is 98 meters (322 feet) tall.
On Wednesday it stood at historic launch complex 39B, after a 10-hour overnight crawl from the assembly building.
"To all of us that gaze up at the Moon, dreaming of the day humankind returns to the lunar surface, folks, we're here. We are going back," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said earlier this month.
The Orion capsule will fly to the Moon and 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) beyond it -- further than any previous crewed spacecraft.
On the way back through Earth's atmosphere, traveling at 40,000 km per hour (25,000 mph), Orion's thermal shield will have to withstand a temperature that is half that of the surface of the sun.
Liftoff for the Artemis 1 mission is scheduled for August 29 at 8:33 am (1233 GMT). If it has to be postponed due to bad weather, the backup dates are September 2 and 5.
After the 42-day trip, the capsule is supposed to splash down in the Pacific and be picked up by a US Navy vessel.
In 2024, an Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to take astronauts up to orbit the Moon but without landing on it. That honor is reserved for Artemis 3, a mission scheduled for 2025 at the earliest.
The last time people walked on the Moon was with the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
While the Apollo program featured only white male astronauts, NASA says the Artemis missions will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.
The hope is to use the Moon as a staging ground to develop technologies for sending humans to Mars.
K.Thomson--BTB
