NASA’s Artemis I Launch Set to Make History

ALT The Space Launch System is seen atop the Mobile Launcher on its way to Launch Pad 39B. The core stage is a burnt orange color and the two solid rocket boosters on either side are white. The word "NASA" can be seen in red alongide one of the boosters. The sky in the background is a gradient of pale orange to dark blue. The full Moon can be seen in the distance.

ALT The Space Launch System rocket stands upright on the launchpad. The background is the sky dominated by puffy cumulus clouds. The rocket has an orange central fuel tank with two white rocket boosters on either side. The boosters have the word NASA painted vertically on them in red in the iconic "NASA Worm" typeface. The typeface resembles a worm. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

ALT The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which, have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.


















