[▲ “Saturn V” (left) and “SLS” (right) taken at the Kennedy Space Center rocket assembly building (Credit: NASA / Glenn Benson)]
This image of two rockets side by side, the one on the left is famous“Saturn V”The rocket, on the right, is scheduled to make its maiden flight in the near future.“SLS (Space Launch System)”am. Both photos were taken at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Rocket Assembly Building (VAB).
Saturn V was half a century agoApollo programIt is a rocket (total length 110m) used in.The aircraft in the photo is an unmanned aircraft that became the first flight of Saturn V.“Apollo 4”It was used for (launched on November 9, 1967).On the other hand, SLS is a new locket currently under development by NASA (block 1 in the photo is 98 m in total length), and will conduct manned lunar exploration for the first time in half a century.Artemis programIt will be used in such cases.
[▲ Saturn V (left) and SLS (right) carried out from VAB. Both were assembled on a mobile launch pad (Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignani)]
The assembly of the first SLS was completed in October 2021, and it was the first time on March 18, 2022.roll out(Movement work to the launch point) was carried out. The photo used in the second image captures the rocket carried out from VAB, the same as the first one.Saturn V on the left、SLS on the rightIs reflected.
This first SLS is the first mission of the Artemis program“Artemis 1”It is used for.Artemis 1 is a new spacecraft“Orion”And SLSUnmanned test flightThis is a mission. The Orion spacecraft that flew around the moon will return to Earth four to six weeks after its launch.
On the other hand, Saturn V in the photo“Apollo 14”This is the aircraft used in (launched on January 31, 1971).Apollo 14 canceled lunar exploration due to an accident and returned“Apollo 13”In the next mission, we landed on the Fra Mauro hills scheduled for No. 13.
[▲ Saturn V (left) standing at the 39A launch point of the Kennedy Space Center and SLS (right) standing at the 39B launch point (Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky)]
In the third image, wait for the launch at the 39A launch point of the Kennedy Space Center.“Apollo 17”(Launched December 7, 1972) Saturn V (left) and carried to 39B launch pointFirst SLS(Right) is shown. The appearance of SLS standing at the launch point 50 years after Apollo 17, the last manned lunar exploration mission, makes us realize that a new era of manned lunar exploration is about to begin.
NASA will release the first SLS during the period from April 1st to 3rd, 2022.Wet dress rehearsalWe are planning to carry out (rehearsal just like the actual production, which also fills the propellant and counts down). After the wet dress rehearsal, the first SLS machine will be returned to VAB once, but after completing preparations such as removing the sensor used in the rehearsal and charging the battery, it will be carried to the launch point again and wait for the time of launch. Become.
[▲ 39B SLS at the launch point, the mobile launch pad, and the moon over there. The Orion spacecraft mounted on the tip of the SLS will return to Earth after flying unmanned to the vicinity of the moon (Credit: NASA / Ben Smegelsky)]
Related: NASA’s new rocket “SLS” finally appears!Scheduled to carry out rehearsals just like the actual performance
Source
- Image Credit: NASA
- NASA – Then and Now: Apollo to Artemis
Sentence / Takehiro Matsumura
