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!
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.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
The European Space Agency is fast-tracking a new mission called Ramses, which will fly to near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis and join the space rock in 2029 when it comes very close to our planet — closer even than the region where geosynchronous satellites sit.
Ramses is short for Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety and, as its name suggests, is the next phase in humanity’s efforts to learn more about near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) and how we might deflect them should one ever be discovered on a collision course with planet Earth.
In order to launch in time to rendezvous with Apophis in February 2029, scientists at the European Space Agency have been given permission to start planning Ramses even before the multinational space agency officially adopts the mission. The sanctioning and appropriation of funding for the Ramses mission will hopefully take place at ESA’s Ministerial Council meeting (involving representatives from each of ESA’s member states) in November of 2025. To arrive at Apophis in February 2029, launch would have to take place in April 2028, the agency says.
This is a big deal because large asteroids don’t come this close to Earth very often. It is thus scientifically precious that, on April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass within 19,794 miles (31,860 kilometers) of Earth. For comparison, geosynchronous orbit is 22,236 miles (35,786 km) above Earth’s surface. Such close fly-bys by asteroids hundreds of meters across (Apophis is about 1,230 feet, or 375 meters, across) only occur on average once every 5,000 to 10,000 years. Miss this one, and we’ve got a long time to wait for the next.
When Apophis was discovered in 2004, it was for a short time the most dangerous asteroid known, being classified as having the potential to impact with Earth possibly in 2029, 2036, or 2068. Should an asteroid of its size strike Earth, it could gouge out a crater several kilometers across and devastate a country with shock waves, flash heating and earth tremors. If it crashed down in the ocean, it could send a towering tsunami to devastate coastlines in multiple countries.
Over time, as our knowledge of Apophis’ orbit became more refined, however, the risk of impact greatly went down. Radar observations of the asteroid in March of 2021 reduced the uncertainty in Apophis’ orbit from hundreds of kilometers to just a few kilometers, finally removing any lingering worries about an impact — at least for the next 100 years. (Beyond 100 years, asteroid orbits can become too unpredictable to plot with any accuracy, but there’s currently no suggestion that an impact will occur after 100 years.) So, Earth is expected to be perfectly safe in 2029 when Apophis comes through. Still, scientists want to see how Apophis responds by coming so close to Earth and entering our planet’s gravitational field.
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“There is still so much we have yet to learn about asteroids but, until now, we have had to travel deep into the solar system to study them and perform experiments ourselves to interact with their surface,” said Patrick Michel, who is the Director of Research at CNRS at Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in Nice, France, in a statement. “Nature is bringing one to us and conducting the experiment itself. All we need to do is watch as Apophis is stretched and squeezed by strong tidal forces that may trigger landslides and other disturbances and reveal new material from beneath the surface.”
The Goldstone radar’s imagery of asteroid 99942 Apophis as it made its closest approach to Earth, in March 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/NSF/AUI/GBO)
By arriving at Apophis before the asteroid’s close encounter with Earth, and sticking with it throughout the flyby and beyond, Ramses will be in prime position to conduct before-and-after surveys to see how Apophis reacts to Earth. By looking for disturbances Earth’s gravitational tidal forces trigger on the asteroid’s surface, Ramses will be able to learn about Apophis’ internal structure, density, porosity and composition, all of which are characteristics that we would need to first understand before considering how best to deflect a similar asteroid were one ever found to be on a collision course with our world.
Besides assisting in protecting Earth, learning about Apophis will give scientists further insights into how similar asteroids formed in the early solar system, and, in the process, how planets (including Earth) formed out of the same material.
One way we already know Earth will affect Apophis is by changing its orbit. Currently, Apophis is categorized as an Aten-type asteroid, which is what we call the class of near-Earth objects that have a shorter orbit around the sun than Earth does. Apophis currently gets as far as 0.92 astronomical units (137.6 million km, or 85.5 million miles) from the sun. However, our planet will give Apophis a gravitational nudge that will enlarge its orbit to 1.1 astronomical units (164.6 million km, or 102 million miles), such that its orbital period becomes longer than Earth’s.
It will then be classed as an Apollo-type asteroid.
Ramses won’t be alone in tracking Apophis. NASA has repurposed their OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned a sample from another near-Earth asteroid, 101955 Bennu, in 2023. However, the spacecraft, renamed OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer), won’t arrive at the asteroid until April 23, 2029, ten days after the close encounter with Earth. OSIRIS-APEX will initially perform a flyby of Apophis at a distance of about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from the object, then return in June that year to settle into orbit around Apophis for an 18-month mission.
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Furthermore, the European Space Agency still plans on launching its Hera spacecraft in October 2024 to follow-up on the DART mission to the double asteroid Didymos and Dimorphos. DART impacted the latter in a test of kinetic impactor capabilities for potentially changing a hazardous asteroid’s orbit around our planet. Hera will survey the binary asteroid system and observe the crater made by DART’s sacrifice to gain a better understanding of Dimorphos’ structure and composition post-impact, so that we can place the results in context.
The more near-Earth asteroids like Dimorphos and Apophis that we study, the greater that context becomes. Perhaps, one day, the understanding that we have gained from these missions will indeed save our planet.
