Artemis I
Orion flew around the Moon and splashed down safely, but its heat shield wore away unevenly.
Success November 16 – December 11, 2022
Goal
- Prove SLS can send Orion toward the Moon.
- Run Orion in deep space for weeks before people ride it.
- Test the heat shield coming home at Moon-return speed, almost 40,000 km/h.
What happened
SLS lifted off on its first flight on November 16, 2022, after months of delays and scrubbed attempts.
Orion passed about 130 km above the Moon’s surface and settled into a wide orbit around it. It reached 432,210 km (268,563 miles) from Earth, farther than any spacecraft built for people had gone.
It splashed down in the Pacific off Baja California on December 11, after 25 and a half days.
Afterward engineers found the heat shield had lost charred material in chunks instead of wearing away smoothly. NASA kept the design for Artemis II but changed how Orion dips into the atmosphere.
Our coverage
Future dates come from the launch calendar and are checked every week; they often slip. All Artemis missions