Orlando Sentinel by Richard Tribou 1/14/2022
The biggest rocket to ever lift off from Earth is on tap for launch from Kennedy Space Center this spring, but it won’t be the only new name to make its Space Coast debut this year.
While the Artemis I mission to the moon will carry the new Orion spacecraft into space for the first time, launches in 2022 look to send up missions from new Axiom Space and Sierra Space for the first time while Boeing hopes to finally get its CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station.
But the first Artemis mission, that looks to finally send NASA’s massive, multibillion Space Launch System off the ground after years of delay, is the headliner.
“We are going to be as aggressive as we can be in a safe and technically feasible way to beat our competitors with boots on the moon,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in November when he outlined the next steps for the Artemis program.
Originally to have launched in 2016, the development of the program has already topped $20 billion, and future launches of Artemis face further delays and $2 billion price tags per launch. Artemis I, though, is gearing up for a payoff, targeting either March or April for liftoff.
More:
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-bz-florida-space-launch-preview-2022-20220114-dia2eh6esnczpjgqkrc5aqhdna-story.html
