NASA’s huge Artemis 1 rocket is counting down to a planned Aug. 29 launch to the moon and when it does, you’ll be able to watch the historic mission live online for free.
The space agency will host a series of Artemis 1 webcasts this week and next leading up to the uncrewed launch on NASA’s first Space Launch System megarocket from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefings start on Monday, Aug. 22, and run through launch day and include special guests like actors Chris Evans, Jack Black and Keke Palmer. You can already see live views of the Artemis 1 moon rocket atop its pad in the live fe
The last time a rocket this powerful thundered off a KSC pad was back in 1973 when a Saturn V moon rocket carried Skylab into orbit, marking the end of the Apollo era, so this month’s event should be quite a show.
According to NASA (opens in new tab), the space agency will deliver comprehensive coverage of prelaunch, launch, and postlaunch activities for Artemis I when it comes time to light the candle. This momentous uncrewed dress rehearsal around the moon will clear the trail for a crewed moon-bound flight test with 2024’s Artemis 2, and an actual lunar landing by 2025 as part of Artemis 3.
Those lucky enough to be joining the Artemis 1 spectacle in Florida will be treated to the shock and awe of 8.8 million pounds of thrust fighting gravity and propelling the sleek SLS rocket and Orion space capsule into the heavens. For the rest of us, NASA just released its schedule for the free livestream broadcast to watch the mission from the safety and comfort of our own homes.
Live event coverage will air on Space.com courtesy of NASA Television, the NASA mobile app (opens in new tab), and the agency’s official website (opens in new tab), with prelaunch activities on Monday, Aug. 22. For anxious toe-tappers, the launch countdown (opens in new tab)starts Saturday, Aug. 27, at 10:23 a.m. ET.
Sure, it might not provide the same epic experience that the Earth-shuddering blastoff will offer, but it’s the next best thing and you don’t have to worry about the heat, parking hassles, or huge crowds.
The stages of the Artemis 1 mission to the moon. (Image credit: NASA)
On launch day, a live broadcast of the festivities includes celebrity appearances by Jack Black, Chris Evans, and Keke Palmer, as well as a patriotic performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” courtesy of Josh Groban and Herbie Hancock. Then we’ll hear “America the Beautiful” played by The Philadelphia Orchestra and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Here’s a rundown of the launch activities leading up to liftoff.
Monday, Aug. 22: Artemis 1 flight readiness review
One week from launch, on Monday, Aug. 22, NASA Artemis 1 mission managers will meet in a day-long Flight Readiness Review to decide of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket is ready for launch.
At 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT), NASA will hold a press conference to report on the results of that meeting and if the Artemis 1 moon rocket is still on track for its Aug. 29 liftoff.
Here’s who will appear in that briefing.
Janet Petro, director, Kennedy Space Center
Jim Free, associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy
Howard Hu, Orion Program manager, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
John Honeycutt, Space Launch System Program manager, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Friday, Aug. 26: NASA briefing on space industry exploration
On Friday, Aug. 26, NASA will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) to highlight the role of commercial space industry on the Artemis 1 mission.
The briefing will feature experts from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing (which built the Space Launch System), Jacobs aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Airbus.
Jim Free, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Jeff Zotti, RS-25 program director, Aerojet Rocketdyne
Jennifer Boland-Masterson, director of operations, Michoud Assembly Facility, Boeing
Randy Lycans, vice president/general manager of NASA Enterprise Solutions, Jacobs
Kelly DeFazio, director of Orion production, Lockheed Martin
Doug Hurley, senior director of business development, Northrop Grumman
Ralf Zimmermann, head of Moon programs and Orion European Service Module, Airbus
Saturday, Aug. 27: NASA Artemis 1 countdown begins
The Artemis 1 launch countdown will begin at 10:23 a.m. EDT (1423 GMT) on Saturday, Aug. 27. Flight controllers will be called to their stations on this day and begin the two-day countdown to the final launch target.
Saturday, Aug. 27: NASA Artemis 1 prelaunch briefing
On Saturday, Aug. 27, NASA will hold a two briefings to discuss the Artemis 1 mission. The first will be at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), when mission managers will meet to review the launch plan for Artemis 1 as well as its mission goals.
The briefing will include an overview of the mission, a look at the weather forecast and NASA’s backup plans in case an Aug. 29 launch date is delayed. Backup days for the mission are currently targeted for Sept. 2 and Sept. 5.
Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy
Judd Freiling, ascent and entry flight director, Johnson
Rick LaBrode, lead flight director, Johnson
Melissa Jones, recovery director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy
Melody Lovin, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 45
Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Saturday, Aug. 27: NASA Artemis Moon to Mars briefing
After the prelaunch briefing, NASA will hold a press conference on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), led by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to discuss the agency’s plans to explore the moon, Mars and beyond..
NASA has billed the talk as a “briefing on the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration plans” and it will feature presentations by Nelson and representatives from across the agency’s exploration, space technology and spaceflight branches to outline plans to reach Mars from the moon under the Artemis program.
Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy
Jim Free, NASA associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate
Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate
Prasun Desai, NASA deputy associate administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate
Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut
Sunday, Aug. 28: NASA Artemis 1 countdown update
On Sunday, Aug. 28, NASA will hold a short briefing at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) to give an update on the launch progress for Artemis 1.
The briefing will review the mission’s countdown status with Jeff Spaulding, NASA’s Artemis 1 senior test director, as well as Melody Lovin, weather officer with Space Launch Delta 45 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station near KSC.
Jeff Spaulding, Artemis I senior NASA test director
Melody Lovin, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 45
Monday, Aug. 29: 12 a.m. EDT – Artemis 1 Launch Day – Fueling coverage
Monday, Aug. 29, is the first launch attempt for NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission and it’s going to be a LONG day.
NASA’s webcast activities begin at 12 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT), with a live webcast on the fueling operations, which NASA calls tanking, of the Space Launch System. The core stage of the SLS rocket can hold about 730,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, so loading that propellant will take hours.
Monday, Aug. 29: 6:30 a.m. ET- Full Artemis 1 launch coverage
NASA’s full launch coverage webcast for Artemis 1 will begin on Aug. 29 at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT). This part of the agency’s webcast will be in English.
“Launch coverage will continue through translunar injection and spacecraft separation, setting Orion on its path to the moon,” NASA wrote in a description.
Monday, Aug. 29: 7:30 a.m. ET- Artemis 1 Spanish broadcast
At 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT), NASA’s Spanish-language webcast will begin to chronicle the Artemis 1 mission.
The webcast will run through launch and the first 15 minutes of the mission after liftoff. Following the launch, you can get Spanish-language updates on Artemis 1 through the NASA en español social media channels.
Saturday, Aug. 29: 8:33 a.m. EDT – Artemis 1 Liftoff
This is the moment of truth for NASA’s Artemis 1 mission: the first launch window for the Space Launch System rocket.
NASA actually has a two-hour window in which to try to launch the SLS booster, so liftoff could occur anytime between 8:33 a.m. EDT and 10:33 a.m. EDT (1233-1433 GMT), weather and technical systems permitting.
Saturday, Aug. 29: 12 p.m. ET – Artemis 1 post-launch news conference
After launch, NASA will hold a post-launch press conference scheduled for no earlier than 1 hour after the launch broadcast ends. Currently, NASA is eyeing a 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) start time for this briefing, but that could change as the day progresses.
Below are the NASA officials scheduled to speak in the briefing.
Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems Program manager, Kennedy
Howard Hu, Orion Program manager, Johnson
John Honeycutt, Space Launch System Program manager, Marshall
Saturday, Aug. 29: 4 p.m. EDT – Orion trajectory burn
If all goes well with the launch, NASA will host a 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) webcast to highlight the first trajectory maneuver to send the Artemis 1 Orion beyond Earth orbit and off to the moon.
The time of this coverage may change depending on the launch time of the Artemis 1 mission.
Saturday, Aug. 29: 5:30 p.m. EDT – Orion views of the Earth
The last major Artemis 1 launch day event is currently scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT), when the Orion spacecraft is expected to beam its first views of the Earth from space.
Like the outbound trajectory maneuver, the timing of this broadcast is subject to change depending on the exact launch time and the health of the Orion spacecraft.
For a complete rundown of all the talks and activities surrounding Artemis 1’s thrilling flight, check out NASA’s detailed coverage schedule.
Whether staking out a sweet in-person spot to watch Artemis 1 or taking it all in via NASA’s livestream options, it’s destined to be the pyrotechnics show of the summer!
More than 40 trillion gallons of rain drenched the Southeast United States in the last week from Hurricane Helene and a run-of-the-mill rainstorm that sloshed in ahead of it — an unheard of amount of water that has stunned experts.
That’s enough to fill the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium 51,000 times, or Lake Tahoe just once. If it was concentrated just on the state of North Carolina that much water would be 3.5 feet deep (more than 1 meter). It’s enough to fill more than 60 million Olympic-size swimming pools.
“That’s an astronomical amount of precipitation,” said Ed Clark, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “I have not seen something in my 25 years of working at the weather service that is this geographically large of an extent and the sheer volume of water that fell from the sky.”
The flood damage from the rain is apocalyptic, meteorologists said. More than 100 people are dead, according to officials.
Private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former NOAA chief scientist, calculated the amount of rain, using precipitation measurements made in 2.5-mile-by-2.5 mile grids as measured by satellites and ground observations. He came up with 40 trillion gallons through Sunday for the eastern United States, with 20 trillion gallons of that hitting just Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Florida from Hurricane Helene.
Clark did the calculations independently and said the 40 trillion gallon figure (151 trillion liters) is about right and, if anything, conservative. Maue said maybe 1 to 2 trillion more gallons of rain had fallen, much if it in Virginia, since his calculations.
Clark, who spends much of his work on issues of shrinking western water supplies, said to put the amount of rain in perspective, it’s more than twice the combined amount of water stored by two key Colorado River basin reservoirs: Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Several meteorologists said this was a combination of two, maybe three storm systems. Before Helene struck, rain had fallen heavily for days because a low pressure system had “cut off” from the jet stream — which moves weather systems along west to east — and stalled over the Southeast. That funneled plenty of warm water from the Gulf of Mexico. And a storm that fell just short of named status parked along North Carolina’s Atlantic coast, dumping as much as 20 inches of rain, said North Carolina state climatologist Kathie Dello.
Then add Helene, one of the largest storms in the last couple decades and one that held plenty of rain because it was young and moved fast before it hit the Appalachians, said University of Albany hurricane expert Kristen Corbosiero.
“It was not just a perfect storm, but it was a combination of multiple storms that that led to the enormous amount of rain,” Maue said. “That collected at high elevation, we’re talking 3,000 to 6000 feet. And when you drop trillions of gallons on a mountain, that has to go down.”
The fact that these storms hit the mountains made everything worse, and not just because of runoff. The interaction between the mountains and the storm systems wrings more moisture out of the air, Clark, Maue and Corbosiero said.
North Carolina weather officials said their top measurement total was 31.33 inches in the tiny town of Busick. Mount Mitchell also got more than 2 feet of rainfall.
Before 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, “I said to our colleagues, you know, I never thought in my career that we would measure rainfall in feet,” Clark said. “And after Harvey, Florence, the more isolated events in eastern Kentucky, portions of South Dakota. We’re seeing events year in and year out where we are measuring rainfall in feet.”
Storms are getting wetter as the climate change s, said Corbosiero and Dello. A basic law of physics says the air holds nearly 4% more moisture for every degree Fahrenheit warmer (7% for every degree Celsius) and the world has warmed more than 2 degrees (1.2 degrees Celsius) since pre-industrial times.
Corbosiero said meteorologists are vigorously debating how much of Helene is due to worsening climate change and how much is random.
For Dello, the “fingerprints of climate change” were clear.
“We’ve seen tropical storm impacts in western North Carolina. But these storms are wetter and these storms are warmer. And there would have been a time when a tropical storm would have been heading toward North Carolina and would have caused some rain and some damage, but not apocalyptic destruction. ”
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It’s a dinosaur that roamed Alberta’s badlands more than 70 million years ago, sporting a big, bumpy, bony head the size of a baby elephant.
On Wednesday, paleontologists near Grande Prairie pulled its 272-kilogram skull from the ground.
They call it “Big Sam.”
The adult Pachyrhinosaurus is the second plant-eating dinosaur to be unearthed from a dense bonebed belonging to a herd that died together on the edge of a valley that now sits 450 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
It didn’t die alone.
“We have hundreds of juvenile bones in the bonebed, so we know that there are many babies and some adults among all of the big adults,” Emily Bamforth, a paleontologist with the nearby Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, said in an interview on the way to the dig site.
She described the horned Pachyrhinosaurus as “the smaller, older cousin of the triceratops.”
“This species of dinosaur is endemic to the Grand Prairie area, so it’s found here and nowhere else in the world. They are … kind of about the size of an Indian elephant and a rhino,” she added.
The head alone, she said, is about the size of a baby elephant.
The discovery was a long time coming.
The bonebed was first discovered by a high school teacher out for a walk about 50 years ago. It took the teacher a decade to get anyone from southern Alberta to come to take a look.
“At the time, sort of in the ’70s and ’80s, paleontology in northern Alberta was virtually unknown,” said Bamforth.
When paleontogists eventually got to the site, Bamforth said, they learned “it’s actually one of the densest dinosaur bonebeds in North America.”
“It contains about 100 to 300 bones per square metre,” she said.
Paleontologists have been at the site sporadically ever since, combing through bones belonging to turtles, dinosaurs and lizards. Sixteen years ago, they discovered a large skull of an approximately 30-year-old Pachyrhinosaurus, which is now at the museum.
About a year ago, they found the second adult: Big Sam.
Bamforth said both dinosaurs are believed to have been the elders in the herd.
“Their distinguishing feature is that, instead of having a horn on their nose like a triceratops, they had this big, bony bump called a boss. And they have big, bony bumps over their eyes as well,” she said.
“It makes them look a little strange. It’s the one dinosaur that if you find it, it’s the only possible thing it can be.”
The genders of the two adults are unknown.
Bamforth said the extraction was difficult because Big Sam was intertwined in a cluster of about 300 other bones.
The skull was found upside down, “as if the animal was lying on its back,” but was well preserved, she said.
She said the excavation process involved putting plaster on the skull and wooden planks around if for stability. From there, it was lifted out — very carefully — with a crane, and was to be shipped on a trolley to the museum for study.
“I have extracted skulls in the past. This is probably the biggest one I’ve ever done though,” said Bamforth.
“It’s pretty exciting.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
