FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2022
Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Applauds Successful Artemis I Launch
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration (CDSE) congratulates NASA and its industry team on the successful launch of the Artemis I mission with the inaugural flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the beginning of NASA’s Orion spacecraft mission out to the Moon and back.
“The Artemis I launch marks a historic moment for NASA and our nation,” said Frank Slazer, president and CEO of the CDSE. “What we learn from this mission will help put the first woman and person of color on the Moon, lay the groundwork for trips to Mars, and usher in a new era for space exploration.”
SLS is our nation’s newest super heavy lift vehicle and only the third super heavy launch system in history to reach orbit. It’s the world’s most powerful rocket and the only launch vehicle that can send crews in the Orion spacecraft to cislunar space and beyond.
Super heavy launch vehicles are essential to meet the challenges of deep space exploration. This national asset enables America and our international partners to return to the Moon, provides a new capability for larger, more complex, and faster science missions, and will enable a unique capability for future national security and commercial missions.
The Orion spacecraft, including its Launch Abort System, was specifically designed to safely take crews to deep space and bring them back home. It is the world’s only human-rated exploration-class spacecraft capable of flight to the Moon and beyond. Equipped with an emergency launch abort capability, Orion provides for crew safety across all mission phases, including ascent. It was designed specifically to support long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit and protects them from the tremendous heat generated during re-entry at deep space return velocities.
On future Artemis missions, Orion will take crews from Earth to NASA’s Gateway outpost in its near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. Gateway will be the rendezvous point for meeting up with future human landing systems, which will take crews to the lunar surface and eventually to more distant destinations.
All of the Artemis I flight hardware came together at the Kennedy Space Center, where NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team has developed and operates the systems and facilities necessary to process and launch rockets and spacecraft during assembly, transport and launch. The EGS team was responsible for the lift-off of Artemis I, and will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean to execute the recovery of Orion after splashdown at the end of the mission.
The CDSE congratulates its member companies who have made today’s successful launch possible — especially prime contractors Aerojet Rocketdyne (SLS, Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage engines, and Orion propulsion capabilities), Boeing (Core Stage, ICPS, and Avionics), Jacobs (Exploration Ground Systems), Lockheed Martin (Orion spacecraft), and Northrop Grumman (Solid Rocket Boosters).
“Today’s successful launch is the result of a years-long effort involving more than 3,800 suppliers from all 50 states who contributed to Orion, the SLS rocket, and the lunar spaceport at the Kennedy Space Center,” said Slazer. “We look forward to even more groundbreaking achievements in space exploration in the near future that will inspire generations of scientists, researchers, and engineers.”
The CDSE salutes the success of all who contributed to enabling a successful Artemis I launch!
About the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration
The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration is a national organization of more than 50 space industry businesses and other stakeholders committed to assuring the United States remains a leader in space exploration, science, technology, and international cooperation. Based in Washington, D.C., the Coalition advocates in support of a long-term, sustainable direction for our nation’s space investments.
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MEDIA CONTACT
For more information or to schedule an interview with Coalition for Deep Space Exploration President and CEO Frank Slazer, please contact Maddie Auerbach at 202-471-4228 or madeline@keybridgecomm.com.
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