Exploring Orion's Journey: Iconic Views of Earth and Moon
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Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
The Artemis 1 mission has reached a pivotal milestone. On November 28, Orion, the spacecraft involved, traveled an impressive 435,000 kilometers from Earth, setting a new record for unmanned missions.
[Photo: NASA, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]
Orion, designed for manned missions but currently operating unmanned, is now on its voyage around the Moon. This test mission, which commenced on November 16 with the launch of the SLS rocket, aims to prepare NASA engineers for upcoming crewed missions, the first of which is slated for 2024.
Section 1.1: A Unique Perspective
Mission specialists are providing space enthusiasts with the chance to track Orion's journey in real-time through live camera feeds available on NASA’s Artemis I LIVE website. However, no one anticipated the stunning visuals revealed on Monday when NASA shared an image capturing both Earth and the Moon together. At this vantage point, the Moon appears much larger than our planet.
This groundbreaking image was made possible by the considerable distance Orion achieved. To put it in perspective, Earth and the Moon are separated by approximately 384,400 kilometers, and Orion reached a distance of over 50,000 kilometers beyond that. This achievement surpassed the previous record held by Apollo 13 for 52 years, which saw the crewed spacecraft travel just over 400,000 kilometers from Earth.
Subsection 1.1.1: Iconic Imagery
While the photograph of Earth and the Moon is undeniably iconic, scientists are particularly fascinated by images captured during Orion's close flyby of the Moon. These photos, taken from less than 130 kilometers away, reveal numerous impact craters—evidence of the Moon's tumultuous history. Experts have also identified signs of ice.
Section 1.2: Insights from the Flyby
In some of the images, craters within craters can be seen, highlighting the Moon's violent past and uncertain present. It is estimated that over 225 new craters have formed on the Moon in the last seven years. Thanks to the absence of an atmosphere, these craters remain well-preserved and have not eroded, maintaining their appearance from the moment they were created.
This close flyby occurred on the mission's sixth day, when Orion's navigation camera captured black-and-white images of the lunar surface. In future crewed missions, this navigation camera will assist the spacecraft in orienting itself in space.
Chapter 2: New Discoveries
NASA has released new images of the Moon's surface, marking the most detailed observations since 1975.
Orion’s cameras have also unveiled the far side of the Moon, which remains hidden from our view due to the Moon's synchronous rotation. This previously unseen side, often mistakenly referred to as the "dark side," was first captured by the Soviet probe Luna 3 in 1959.
As December approaches, the Artemis 1 mission nears its conclusion. The spacecraft is set to return to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on December 11. While we are currently witnessing the mission's breathtaking highlights, the real scientific work will commence once the spacecraft and its instruments reach research facilities. Notably, the data gathered by the three sensor-equipped dummies—Campos, Helga, and Zohar—will be crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of the spacecraft's life support systems and assessing cosmic radiation exposure for future astronauts.
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