Rocket Science: The SLS
This part of the SLS stands 212 feet tall and contains the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks.
What is the Core Stage?
This is the name of the spacecraft that will carry the astronauts to the Moon.
What is Orion?
This mission, Artemis II, will fly around the Moon but will not yet do this specific action on the surface.
What is landing?
his is the name of the natural satellite that the Artemis program is exploring.
What is the Moon?
This was the name of the 1960s space program that first put humans on the Moon.
What was Apollo?
The SLS is capable of producing 8.8 million pounds of this, making it more powerful than the Saturn V.
What is thrust?
This is the number of astronauts that the Orion capsule is designed to carry at one time.
Answer: What is four?
This astronaut will be the first woman to ever fly to the Moon.
Who is Christina Koch?
Scientists are looking for this "frozen" resource because it can be turned into drinking water or rocket fuel.
Answer: What is water ice?
Artemis is named after the sister of Apollo; she is the Greek goddess of this.
What is the Moon?
These two white "helpers" attached to the side of the core stage provide 75% of the total thrust during the first two minutes of flight.
hat are the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs)?
To land safely, Orion will "splash down" in this location on Earth.
What is the Pacific Ocean?
The crew of Artemis II is made up of astronauts from the United States and this neighboring country.
What is Canada?
The Artemis missions are targeting this specific "bottom" part of the Moon for landing.
What is the South Pole?
While the Apollo missions used the massive Saturn V rocket, the Artemis missions use this new, even more powerful rocket.
What is the SLS (or Space Launch System)?
This stage sits on top of the Core Stage and provides the big "push" needed to send Orion out of Earth's orbit and toward the Moon.
What is the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS)?
This protective part on the bottom of the capsule keeps the crew from burning up during reentry.
What is the heat shield?
This astronaut will serve as the pilot for the Artemis II mission.
Who is Victor Glover?
This is the color of the lunar "soil" or dust that covers the surface (also called regolith).
What is grey?
Instead of paper maps, modern astronauts use these types of digital screens to fly the ship.
What are touchscreens (or a glass cockpit)?
These are the specific engines used on the SLS core stage; they were originally used to power the Space Shuttle.
What are RS-25 engines?
These orange-and-white objects deploy to slow the capsule down before it hits the water.
What are parachutes?
Before heading to the Moon, the crew will practice "parking" and maneuvering their craft while still orbiting this planet.
What is Earth?
NASA wants to use the Moon as a "stepping stone" or practice range for a future mission to this Red Planet.
What is Mars?
Apollo astronauts stayed for just a few days, but Artemis wants to build a "Base Camp" so they can do this.
What is stay for a long time (or live there)?