Artemis I recap: NASA’s return to the Moon after 50 years

On November 16, 2022, NASA's Space Launch System rocket — the most powerful rocket ever built — lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, carrying the Orion spacecraft on humanity's first deep space mission since Apollo 17, exactly 50 years earlier. This was Artemis 1 — an uncrewed test flight designed to answer one critical question before putting humans on board: does everything work? The primary goals were to demonstrate Orion's systems in a deep space environment and ensure a safe re-entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery — ahead of the first crewed flight on Artemis 2. Three instrumented mannequins — Moonikin Campos, Helga, and Zohar — occupied the seats, measuring radiation and acceleration data that would keep future astronauts safe. Over 25.5 days, Orion performed two lunar flybys, coming within 80 miles of the lunar surface. On flight day 13, Orion reached its maximum distance of 268,563 miles from Earth — farther than any spacecraft built for humans had ever flown — 30,000 miles beyond Apollo 13's record from 1970. Returning to Earth on December 11, 2022 — the 50th anniversary of Apollo 17's lunar landing — Orion stayed in space longer than any spacecraft built for astronauts ever has without docking to a space station. It successfully completed a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean and was recovered by USS Portland off the coast of San Diego. Artemis 1 set new records of performance, exceeded efficiency expectations, and established new safety baselines for humans in deep space. Every system worked. The seats were empty this time. Not next time. Mission Stats: 🚀 Launch: November 16, 2022 — 1:47 AM EST 🌕 Closest lunar approach: 80 miles above the surface 📏 Maximum distance from Earth: 268,563 miles ⏱️ Mission duration: 25.5 days 🌊 Splashdown: December 11, 2022 — Pacific Ocean 📦 Recovered by: USS Portland What came next: Artemis 2 — April 2026 — four humans orbit the Moon Credits: Image Courtesy: Apollo 17 Mission image — Lunar Module, Flag, CDR, LRV — NASA/JSC Video Courtesy: NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission: Launch to Splashdown Highlights — https://youtu.be/jrDv0OdMt5s?si=rMjtO3bvGkmkz428 Artemis I Launches to the Moon (Official NASA Recap) — https://youtu.be/mYTvg2abusc?si=pv-Ht3LdDoM5RpF_ To the Moon and Back: The Journey of Artemis I — https://youtu.be/8dHwQq0GrAA?si=UT_tAf-f9s-V8Q3b All NASA footage and imagery is public domain and used in accordance with NASA media usage guidelines.