It was on 16 November 2022 when the Orion capsule departed the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Orion is expected to enter lunar orbit as early as 25 November and complete six days of orbiting the moon. This current journey is just Artemis I, with Artemis II looking to implement manned missions to the moon. 

An Aerospace Engineer at NASA Langley Research Center, Emily Judd reiterated, “Humans are needy creatures…We have to have the oxygen to breathe, we need food, all of the life-support systems that are required – part of Artemis I is testing out those systems, making sure that everything is ready for the crew when they go up on Artemis II.”

The Artemis mission has faced difficulties and years of delays from the get go that involved several technical issues such as hydrogen leaks, loose bolts right before takeoff and the most recent hurricane that swept through Florida going through the SLS while atop the launchpad. Orion is expected back on Earth by 11 December this year.