NASA’S brand new mega Moon rocket has made its grand debut in preparation for a major mission.
It’s the first big step in the agency’s goal of finally returning astronauts to the lunar surface – and maybe Mars further down the line.
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The Space Launch System (SLS) was rolled out for all to see on Thursday, onto the pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Experts carried out a dummy countdown in the latest run of tests.
Agency administrator Bill Nelson said it is the start of a golden era for human space exploration.
Here’s everything you need to know about the SLS Moon rocket.
What is the SLS Moon rocket?
Humans haven’t been on the Moon since the 1970s and Nasa is itching to return.
To do that, we’ll need something very powerful to blast beyond low-Earth orbit.
The SLS Moon rocket is a super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle.
It is the most powerful of its kind to be built since the 1960s.
When will astronauts travel on the SLS Moon rocket?
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Nasa still needs to do uncrewed tests of the vehicle before sending people up on it.
If everything continues to go well on the ground, we could see a capsule shot up in the next few months.
As part of the Artemis programme, the agency is aiming to send astronauts on the SLS by 2025.
This will pave the way for the first woman and the 13th man to walk on the Moon.
How does the SLS Moon rocket work?
There will be several versions of the SLS rocket, the first being Block 1.
It will stand just under 100meters tall, slightly higher than the Statue Of Liberty.
At the bottom are four powerful rocket engines that emit hot gases 13-times the speed of sound.
The main bulk of it is the core stage, which contains vital fuel and is responsible for propelling the essential bits above way up.
Towards the top is the Orion spacecraft, where astronauts will buckle up for a ride like no other.
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In other news, prudish Nasa has admitted it may have to study sex in space if humanity is ever going to make it to other planets.
An ancient mega-landslide deep under the ocean has been uncovered which could cause a massive tsunami with “just a little shake in the wrong place”.
Samsung has been accused of throttling the performance of more than 10,000 apps running on its latest smartphone.
And Nasa will let you send your name on a flight around the Moon – for FREE.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
