5 Things You May Have Missed During NASA's Historic Launch of Artemis 2
Gizmodo • • general
Key Points:
- NASA's Artemis 2 mission launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center, with the Orion spacecraft now independently orbiting Earth and set to head toward the Moon during its 10-day mission.
- A longstanding NASA tradition involves astronauts playing a card game before launch to burn off bad luck, with Artemis 2 crew members participating in a game of High Card Wins prior to suiting up.
- Emergency egress baskets, designed for rapid crew escape in emergencies, were released just after launch, creating a fiery visual illusion as they slid away from the rocket.
- Spectators were treated to spectacular views of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage separating from the Orion spacecraft and upper stage, captured by onboard cameras during the flight.
- A temporary communications lapse occurred about 51 minutes into flight during a satellite handover, but contact was quickly restored; meanwhile, the mission's advanced onboard toilet system experienced startup issues requiring troubleshooting.
