UPDATE: NASA successfully launched the Artemis 1 moon mission on the first Space Launch System rocket at 1:47 am EST (0647 GMT) on November 16, 2022 and after a 25 1/2 day journey the Orion capsule slashed down on Dec. 11, 2022.

On July 20, 1969, we made that first giant step and landed on the moon. Now, Artemis 1, part of a series of missions – missions that will bring us back to the moon and the hope of establishing a human presence there, is about to take off. The launch date for this historic event is scheduled for August 29. (UPDATE – the first two launch attempts were scrubbed due to issues NASA could not troubleshoot within the launch windows. “We do not launch until we think it’s right,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.)

Lift off will be at NASA’s Kenny Space Center and Artemis 1 will be the first to use the most powerful rocket in the world, known as the Space Launch System Rocket (SLS) which will propel the Orion spacecraft for the first minutes of the mission. Artemis 1 will travel beyond the moon, further than any spacecraft built for humans has gone before. The 42-day duration mission will function as a demonstration of Orion’s systems prior to sending up a manned mission. Expected splashdown date is currently set for Oct. 10, 2022, at a reentry speed of 24,500 miles per hour – hotter and faster than any reentry before.

For these new missions, innovative technologies have had to be designed and tested. As part of assisting with future crew safety, the DTS TSR PRO data logger was used to help quantify the acceleration profile of the crew seat backs on launch. The closing of the hatch door triggers the TSR PRO to record and capture vital data which helps contribute to the success of these missions.

This first Artemis mission will be “manned” by Commander Moonikin Campos, a suited mannikin strapped in the commander’s seat on Orion. “Some data collected from Artemis I will be used for Orion crew simulations and to verify crew safety by comparing flight vibration and acceleration against pre-flight predictions, then making model refinements as necessary,” said Dr. Mark Baldwin, Orion’s occupant protection specialist for lead contractor Lockheed Martin.¹

DTS would like to wish NASA and all organizations that have contributed to these upcoming missions, good luck! We are proud that DTS data acquisition equipment has been chosen by NASA for more than 3 decades to support their aerospace testing.

For more details on Artemis 1 and the moon missions go to https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i/.

Resources
1.https://www.nasa.gov/feature/purposeful-passenger-artemis-i-manikin-helps-prepare-for-moon-missions-with-crew