CNN will provide live coverage of the Monday morning launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s space correspondents, Kristin Fisher, and Rachel Crane, will provide us with moment-by-moment coverage from the launch, along with a team experts. The launch of the uncrewed Artemis I mission on Monday, August 29 is just one step towards the future space exploration. The Apollo 17 mission still holds the record for longest crewed deep-space flight: 12.5 days. With the Artemis program, astronauts will be able to go on long-duration deep-space missions that test all limits of exploration. NASA administrator Bill Nelson spoke at a news conference earlier in the month to explain why Artemis I is returning to the Moon 50 years later. “We’re going to the moon to learn how to live, work, and survive,” Nelson said. Read More “How can you keep humans alive under such hostile conditions?” We’ll learn how to use resources on the moon to be able build things in the future. Not a quarter of a mile away, not a three day journey, but millions and billions of miles over a long journey that takes months and even years. NASA has released new posters that depict the different stages of the Artemis I voyage. NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik spoke at a NASA briefing Saturday about the importance of lunar exploration in preparing for landing on Mars. He said that you would not rely on brand-new gear or shoes when camping in Alaska’s wilderness. Mars is not the best place to try out new gear. Bresnik stated that they would first visit some local places to get a better idea of the terrain. “Then, you can return home if your shoelaces are broken or something similar. “For more than 20 years, astronauts have lived and worked aboard International Space Station, which orbits around 254 miles above Earth in low-Earth orbit. The astronauts’ experiences, which can last from six months to almost a year, have shown how microgravity affects the human body. “Every day that was spent on the space station, it was like walking on Mars,” said NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman. He is the Chief of the Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center, Houston. “That’s why we’re up here. We want to make Earth a better place and expand humanity’s reach into the solar system. “READ MORE Artemis I by numbers” Artemis II, which is scheduled for 2024, will follow a similar route to Artemis I, but from a greater distance than any Apollo missions. Artemis III, which is scheduled for late 2025 will land the first woman or man at the moon’s south pole. These shadowed areas may contain ice and other resources that could support astronauts during long moonwalks. Meet Commander Moonikin Campos. This mannequin is going further than any astronaut. “Our moon serves as basically an celestial library right next to us,” said Jacob Bleacher (NASA’s chief exploration scientist). “Lunar rocks, lunar ice, and other lunar materials basically act as the books in this library. They can be used to help us understand how the solar system evolved. This can help us gain insight into the past events on Earth as life began to establish a foothold in this solar system. “The Artemis program aims to establish a permanent human presence on the moon, and to place an orbiting lunar outpost called The Gateway. This illustration shows SpaceX’s Starship human-lander design, which will transport the first NASA astronauts onto the moon’s surface through the Artemis program. Jim Free, NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate associate administrator, stated that they want to remain on the lunar surface and learn there so that we can do the best science and plan for Mars. “On Apollo we did amazing science at the Equator. This time, we’re going the South Pole. Nelson stated that the SLS rocket would evolve over time. The rocket will be taller than Artemis I and will dock with the Gateway when it reaches the launchpad. It is the Space Launch System Rocket’s inaugural flight. The Orion spacecraft and heat shield will be used to protect future astronauts. Science experiments and technology demonstrations will be conducted inside Orion, as well as flying outside on CubeSats to gather additional information about the space environment that future Artemis astronauts will encounter. The next steps of Artemis could be informed by the lessons learned from Artemis I. These lessons will be collected when the spacecraft splashes down in Oct. Free stated that the first five Artemis missions are planned and NASA is currently working on the details for mission six through ten. NASA teams are “going through the broad exploration goals and then narrowing down the architecture which takes us to Mars.” “We plan to roll through that architecture, decisions, and process in the first half of next year. The Obama Administration set the goal of landing humans on Mars in 2033. NASA administrators have maintained that goal since then. “NASA is at an historic inflection point with the launch of Artemis I on Monday, poised for the most significant series science and human exploration missions over the past generation,” said Bhavya Lel, NASA associate administrator, technology, policy and strategy. Discover the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more.