Artemis II: Flight Day 1 Highlights

Artemis II Flight Day 1 Highlights: Includes Launch, Apogee Raise Burn, and Proximity Operations

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Welcome, and thank you for joining us live from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where we are beginning a new chapter in America's human spaceflight story. We are so humbled to have thousands of people here in person to witness this, and many more watching online from around the world. I'm NASA's Meghan Cruz, and this is NASA astronaut Colares. Thanks, Megan. What a historic day to be here.

What a historic day to be here. Obviously, for what we see right behind us here. The rocket and Orion spacecraft on Launch Pad 39 B. Artemis two is a nearly ten day flight test to prove NASA can safely fly astronauts around the moon before attempting to land on it in just two years, hopefully. Yes.

You know, like you said, it's a test flight. So we're going to put humans on this rocket for the first time ever, and we're going to test out the systems onboard and hopefully get around the moon. And in charge of liftoff today as launch director Charlie Blackwell Thompson. She and her team are just across the street from us inside of the launch control center. They kicked off continuous around the clock operations just before 5 p.

m. on Monday, and started fueling the rocket about four hours ago. That will also connect into the suit, which then eventually connects to the capsule, and through an umbilical there. So there's a lot of cords and wires. You can see them tuck in that cord under his chin right now.

And so the suits they're wearing, they're called the Orion crew survival suits or ox suits. And so they're worn for launch and reentry or during high risk or emergency situations. And welcome into Firing room one historic firing room here at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It's a pleasure and honor to be here reporting what's happening as we lead up to countdown and liftoff of Artemis two. So far, looking pretty good.

You see the rocket out there on the pad? It is launch day, and we just got that crew weather brief that you were talking about from launch director Charlie Blackwell Thompson to the crew. It looks like a countdown at this point is in good shape. And that's great news. Fueling continues to track.

Well, we just reached all stages. Replenish. Now Reed Weissman is a Baltimore native. He's been in space once before as flight engineer for expedition 41 aboard the International Space Station from May through November 2014. And so now here we are, pilot Victor Glover.

NASA selected the California native as an astronaut in 2013. At the time, he was actually serving as a legislative fellow in the United States Senate. His first trip to space was in November 2020, when he launched as pilot of NASA's SpaceX crew one mission that was the first operational mission of NASA's Commercial Crew program. And so it looks like Christina here has completed her suit leak checks as well. Her communication checks to.

Yep, they've already got her gloves off. They're getting ready to kind of hang out and relax a little bit, I think before they walk out. She is a mission specialist for this mission. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was selected to the astronaut corps in 2013. Actually same class as Victor.

And last but not least, first time flier Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will fly to the moon as a mission specialist on the Artemis two mission. The London, Ontario native was selected as an astronaut in 2009. After that, he worked as Capcom at NASA's mission Control Center in Houston. The team you see here in this room today has been training extensively to prepare for the highly dynamic phase of flight that begins shortly after engine ignition. Teams here will be monitoring the flight of the Space Launch System Orion, and of course, the Artemis two crew on board as they make their way from the Kennedy Space Center into Earth orbit.

Yes, a preflight tradition that we have seen with our crewed flights and our astronauts. The card game. Nicole. Yeah, you know, this is a fun time for the crew. Kind of relax a little bit.

Play a card game with the chief. You can see Scott Tingle. There's the the dealer today. Looks like they're playing high card wins. So Victor won.

He's out now. Jeremy's out. You know, there are two schools of thought on this game. Either you want to get rid of all your bad luck or go out on a high note. So it looks like the crew chose.

We're going out on a high note now. The SLS or the Space Launch System. Very big, very powerful. It is going to be producing 8. 8 million pounds of thrust at launch.

And like I mentioned, very large as you can see here, going to stand about 322ft tall with Orion there on top, just a little bit taller than the Statue of Liberty. And here we are, the closeout crew in the white room, getting ready for the astronauts who have just left crew suit up and are now walking down a hallway to greet some family and friends downstairs. Commander Richard Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Cook and Jeremy Hansen. And here they are, NASA's Artemis two crew commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Cook and Jeremy Hansen taking their first steps outside for their historic test flight. To a wonderful applause from the crowd, they're looking really excited.

Some big smiles out here. It's a great day for us every day for this team. A few words from read. Great day for us. The team, he said.

Thumbs up. More thumbs up. Of course, a lot of pictures we hear some camera shutter clicks back there. Let's go. I love I love the energy of this crowd.

Let's go. And so now the crew walking over to each of their pens, the first, people closest to them, of course, their family members who got to quarantine with them. Correct? Yes. Guys, you heard right.

They're saying thank you guys. As the crowd picks up again with their applause. Now the four of them stop it to their ask their Astro van. And there they go. And off they go.

Read Victor, Christina and Jeremy now on their way to launch pad 39 B, where they will fly to the moon. Something no human has done in over 50 years. They may also set a new record as the farthest humans have ever been from Earth. A record set by the Apollo 13 crew almost 56 years ago today. Yeah.

You know, we talked about how tall this rocket is, earlier. Wow. Look at that. Yeah, look at that point of view. Yeah.

And now we're watching the crew walk across the crew access arm, getting a beautiful view of Kennedy Space Center from 274ft, Nicole laughs. Because Nicole is also like Reed does not like heights. I like how open that crew access arm is now, and he's already turned around and walk in and you can see Dres protecting his helmet and his visor there from all the that metal. Yeah, it's a tight squeeze, but they've done this a lot to Reed's already all the way across the capsule. Yeah, that was fast.

Impressive. Reed. Impressive. That's why you're the commander. Oh, a heart there from Jeremy again.

Yep. Canada. Canada is about to get into Orion. This is a camera shot, behind Reed's head to Reed while, Andre is buckling him in. That's a five point harness.

Reed was configuring his control panel. Yeah, the displays were getting the displays ready so that they can monitor all of the systems and monitor the launch as they go. Christina. They're signing the wall. That they're working there.

There's a there's a heart from Christina Cook. Great to see that as, she gets ready to get into the Orion spacecraft, one that they named integrity. It certainly fits this crew, from what I've observed. Drag on camera. Like we were saying, the kind of moves around.

So sometimes it's hard to show that. So there you have it. You can see that the closeout crew has closed the side hatch. And so right now that's a panel that they have to close out in order to then close the next hatch, which is the launch abort system hatch. We are currently, not working to any constraints with regards to the rocket or the ground systems.

But the launch team has been made aware of, an issue that the range is working, and, currently they're monitoring, that work that is going on over at the range. We understand that that, issue is related to the flight termination system and the flight termination system. Just to give you a quick explainer, every rocket has a flight termination system. It's the system that the Eastern Range here uses in order to, send a destruct signal to a rocket in case it veers off path. So it's a very critical, important safety component.

The bottom line of all this is at this moment, the range is no go up. But that is not stopping us from moving forward in the countdown. We can continue to, process and work the countdown. The closeout crew will continue to do their work, and and the launch team will continue to do their work as well. We're just getting an update.

In fact, about, what? I was about to report out on the range. And, the good news is the ranges go, as we see now live inside of the white room. At the launch pad, the closeout crew has closed the launch abort system hatch you saw there. We took it live.

Took a lot of them. I think all of them, except for one. I think it took all 3 or 4 of them to push that hatch door close, and then they felt around the perimeter of the door to make sure that everything was sitting just right. We currently are hearing the launch team is working an issue that was reported out with the last at least. There's an issue apparently with a battery on the last.

The engineer who, is in charge of the launch abort system, sits on console here, reported that, a temperature for one of the two last batteries is out of range. And although it's not a constraint for launch right now, it would be when that temperature is checked, inside of T -six minutes, which is inside of terminal count. So, right now the team is working some troubleshooting on this issue. Going to follow, of course, along closely with what, they learn. But again, a battery temp, for one of the two batteries on the last is out of, spec, and the team is, working to understand, first of all, whether or not this may be a sensor issue or is there an issue with the battery itself for one big NASA team, one big NASA family?

And we have a one major message before we launch tonight. Okay, guys, what are we going to say? One, two, three. Great news to remember. The team was tracking an issue with the launch abort system battery.

They appears to have. They appear to have cleared that issue. So we are go for a launch. All right. Thank you.

Megan. Nicole. And, just want to give you update on the launch abort system that they you just reported that they cleared. They believe if they are convinced this is an instrumentation failure. So there are two batteries on the last.

The last, of course. And with the help of my two year old son's model rocket, Daniel said I could use this. So it's okay. The last is right here. It's the tower above Orion.

Orion capsule is inside of here. It's used to pull Orion off. The rocket in case the rocket is. Something's going on with the rocket, either on the pad or in flight. Two batteries are bad.

Well, I'm sorry, one of the two batteries reported and out of family temperature, and it was very much out of family. And so they checked their data going back into the vehicle Assembly building, where they recharged the batteries and worked on them. And they have good solid data. They reported, that tells them that this is an instrumentation failure, that there's something wrong with the sensor. And so they took it before the mission management team, which has to accept the risk.

Any changes to, launch commit criteria, which this would be one. And they all fully accepted it. So now we are clear as far as that constraint is concerned, entity Cosc hold requested. Copy that. I have an LTC violation of oh dash seat dash zero zero for S-band transponder anomaly.

This was a transient LTC violation. So transponder one had a be modulated Snr estimate that went down to two DBM. When it should have been between 10 and 13. It is now back up to 12. But we did lose that for just a moment.

It does not appear that we lost our bid sink or carrier lock, which would be indicative that we lost our lock with the vehicle. So at this point, recommendation would still be go. However, we do have a pre-planned contingency procedure, if we want to look at that. But again, this is transient. So we're back in a nominal range.

Yeah. Let's take a look at the data right here. It looks like that was a single sample. Yeah. Copy that.

RPF does report that they also lost lock for about five seconds. So I would love to ask us and see if they also lost lock with the vehicle for any extended amount of period. Yeah. So from from our perspective, the allowance is effectively up to, you know, 30s up to three samples based on the one tenths hertz. This is not an elk violation.

I believe. Yes, sir. I would agree with that at this point. Copy that. Or check in with question.

232. I don't think they have two one to access what we're trying to verify, but. But it sounds like they have a wash of lock as well. Two seconds. Okay.

And, I guess, for both chaos and, us do we have lock now that's affirm. We do have a lock for coffee. Yeah. So from the integration console perspective, we did have a temporary lost there within the allowable and per the requirement that's go at this Houston flight, we have lock and we have good telemetry here and in JSC. And chaos is reported to they have good lock now.

So with all of that OAC then are we going to go configuration per year FCC yes sir. Recommendation would be go. I hope you concur with that. Yes sir. LP concurs.

Go and launch director. Yes, sir. Launch director. Concur. Go.

All right. And for all personnel, this is the entity conducting the Artemis two launch readiness check. Verify. Ready to resume count and go for launch. Okay.

Do you see us go SDC? SDC is go GTC, please go. MCO comms go. Safety console safety consoles go LP LP's go RTD RTD go. Houston flight Houston flight is go rock rockets go and CDR crews go.

Copy that. Thank you. Read and launch Director, NTD. Our launch team is ready to proceed. At this time.

All right, entity, I copy all. At this time. I'll perform my pulse. Attention! Open that.

This is the launch director performing the final poll for launch. Verify no constraints and go for launch. EGF egress program. Chief engineer out of Mississippi two days ago. Copy.

Thank you. EGF chief Safety officer. The Artemis CSOs are go beep. Thank you. Range weather launch weather is go.

Thank you all w and Artemis MMT chair MTS go. Thank you John and integrity Launch Director. To hear your voice Charlie Plg thank you thank you Charlie, this is Victor. We are rolling for our families. Everyone, this is Christina.

We are here going for two minutes to do. This is Jeremy. We are going for all humanity. All right. Artemis two crew is go for launch.

Full send. I copy that. Read. Victor, Christina and Jeremy on this historic mission. You take with you the heart of this Artemis team.

The daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe. And the hopes and dreams of a new generation. Good luck. Godspeed, Artemis two. Let's go.

Sir, you have a go to proceed with countdown. Copy that. I'll put it in work. City, our entity. Go to your visors and initiate short purge per your epoch ten .

1. 1. Steps eight and nine turned out 1. 189 going to work. Copy CVS entity starting to start and verify recordings of our Orion cameras.

You heard an issue. Worked in real time with telemetry lock on the Orion. It was transitory. It's very short. They checked the data, confirm that they had a good lock.

This was with the S-band transmitter on the Orion. Worked through that issue, looked at the data and cleared it. All with the world watching. All right. And we're clear from cutouts.

And with that, we're going to resume the clock momentarily. And Eagles, you can resume the clock on your mark. Give us copies. 321 mark GLS main line has been initiated. T -ten minutes and counting.

And that begins terminal count. Our new t0 is 6:35 p. m. eastern time, 6:35 p. m.

Eastern Time. We are now counting down to lift off of Artemis two GLS, go for crew access, arm retract. And there you see the crew access arm moving away. Let's go for a left. Great call out.

The rocket is on its own. Four brave explorers ready to ride the most powerful rocket. NASA has ever launched. Sound suppression. Water is flowing in.

And here we go. Ten nine eight. Seven Rs 25in. Lift 4321. Booster ignition and liftoff.

The crew of Artemis two, now bound for the moon. Humanity's next great voyage begins. Very good roll pitch. Roger. Roll pitch.

Houston, now controlling the flight of integrity on the Artemis two mission around the integrity AMG high and high on time. Passing 30s to the highest integrity. Passes the ultimate vehicle target milestone. Mission control, Houston C good performance. Space launch system core stage integrity three miles an altitude traveling more than 1200 miles per hour.

Mission elapsed time passing one minute approaching Max-Q on, possibly on stand. We hope you loud and clear on what do we on? Have you the same communication signal transfer confirmed as integrity and its crew go supersonic approaching 90s into the Artemis two. Mission integrity is 14 miles an altitude eight miles downrange, traveling more than 20 600mph. One minute 50s of mission elapsed time.

Standing by for main engine throttle down to 85% ahead of solid rocket booster separation expected at the two minute nine second mark. We see the throttle down. Confirm separation. Main engines throttling up. Guidance converged.

Integrity. Guidance converged. Performance nominal. Upper stage RCS ready. Copy of stand.

Integrity SRM priming. Complete. Yes. I'm ready. Complete.

Three minutes into the flight. Integrity. 49 miles. An altitude 78 miles down. Range.

Now passing 5000mph. Standing by for launch abort system. Jettison. Houston. Integrity.

Good. Last jettison. Great. You. We see the sail on board.

Stand, and Houston has you loud and clear on tethers at the command line. Outstanding. Stand. We have you the same. Three minutes 50s into the flight of Artemis two.

Wiseman, Glover, Cook and Hansen crossed the boundary to space with good comm checks. GPS signals acquired after last jettison. Now working on internal checks to verify accuracy. Integrity GPS processing. Outstanding stand.

We see the same. And we have a beautiful moon rise. We're heading right at it. With integrity and nominal Meco. Core stage separated.

We see the same on board stand. Nine minutes of mission. Elapsed time. Integrity. Crew of Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Cook and Jeremy Hansen.

Now in orbit around the Earth at the beginning of their journey to the moon. This is Mission Control, Houston, 25 minutes, 45 seconds into the flight of Artemis two. We have confirmation that all four solar array wings are deployed and latched. This is the configuration needed to switch to ATO preferred, which you did hear confirmed from pilot Victor Glover that mode has been switched now getting our first views from one of the solar array wing cameras. Over the tracking data relay satellites.

We are in a night pass as we are about, a little more than 1300 statute miles above the Earth, just east off the coast of Madagascar. You can see the perigee raise maneuver from the main engine of the ISPs firing from the solar array wing. Standing by for confirmation of cut off. Integrity. Good PRM and one minute to handover.

With the regain of comm, we're starting to get some views aboard the Orion spacecraft. Integrity. Houston. Voice check on status. Loud and clear.

Stand how us. And we now have you the same. Good to hear your voice. In the meantime, mission specialist Christina Cook working on the activation of some environmental control life support systems and waste management systems. Currently, as, teams on the ground analyze, some troubleshooting of, the activation steps that she was going through, she'll gather some of the, backup waste management, capabilities that they have aboard integrity.

Just as a precaution, while the teams assess, how to address, what was reported down from mission specialist Christina Cook on the fault light. At this time, the flight dynamics officer confirms that it was a good burn. So they are on a good trajectory. To for, staying in high Earth orbit for the remainder of this flight day and into next. The high Earth orbit puts them into a 43,730 by zero statue mile orbit, which, orbits the Earth approximately once a day.

It's a 23. 5 hour orbit. For the first time since they arrived in space, you're looking at a live view of the Artemis two crew in the Orion spacecraft. Artemis, welcome on board the category spacecraft we got right now. Myself and Christina are in, seats one and two, getting ready for rendezvous and prox ups demonstration.

Victor is just finishing up, getting out of suits and getting suit drying going. And Jeremy is hard at work in the cabin configuration. It was an amazing ride uphill. The views. We've got two moon rises that we've had so far and the views of planet Earth.

We circled it completely and, we forgot how beautiful it is to look down on Earth. We're hearing some comments from the crew as they are preparing for their proximity operations demonstration, and we have just had, for the first time in over 50 years, humans join the Deep Space Network. Now, we're used to people being on the, near space Network, the Tracking Data Relay satellite system with the International Space Station. But again, first time in 50 years that we will have crew traveling far enough to be on that deep space network. This view coming live from Orion now, just three hours and ten minutes since liftoff today from Kennedy Space Center.

As you heard, Mission Control Houston is go for the crew to conduct the proximity operations demonstration. Again, we will see the separation of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage coming up first in just under 12 minutes, standing by for separation. We have good separation, good motion. We are happy. Go.

Conformation separation from the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. Good motion. Go for 180. Pitch confirmed. Separation confirmed.

Houston. Houston. Copy. All right, here comes a pitch. Right.

This. I see it, look at that. Oh, that. This view inside Orion. I see the moon in the camera.

And now I see. I see it in the docking camera field of view. Okay. Waiting for 550. I'm on the THC.

There's 550 starting in the 19 and one. This is the view from. Nine. And, this is the view arrow. The docking camera is showing the crew inside.

Orion 19 ends. Much quieter. So that a little checking, like we're driving on a rocky road, but much quieter than, in the sim. I'm showing about three degrees wide on eclipse, and it's holding right near the center. Integrity.

No action for you on that. Enable prop caution. No action like you see that foot off the screen on camera. These 0. 8 degrees wide.

Quite large. All right I'm going to course. Point nine degrees. One degree wide. Here comes six outs.

One two, three eight down pulses. Great view of the arc that powered Orion during the perigee raise maneuver and apogee raise burn or, Eight. I can see the side docking target. That is a good looking American flag. Wow.

Happy going off, Fox. Great flying with the Houston. Nice vehicle. Good job. Victor into the entire crew.

And we enjoyed your excitement at seeing out the window. With proximity operations complete and the upper stage separation burn complete as well, we are now looking to the, ICP or Interim cryogenic Propulsion stage disposal burn. We will not see this or get data on it. It will, burn up upon reentry over Earth's atmosphere, over the Pacific Ocean. That actually looks like a crescent Earth there in the background.

This view coming from one of the solar array wing cameras aboard Orion.

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