[Micele]

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/f...n/10790957002/

Fact check: New Artemis I spacecraft needed longer travel time to conduct routine testing

Time built-in for testing

The Artemis I mission was the first launch of a new rocket and spacecraft, said Tiffany Fairley, a NASA media specialist. This meant more time was required to test the latest technology.

"Teams intentionally built in time during the mission to be able to test communications, perform inspections on the spacecraft, troubleshoot issues and other mission objectives," she said.

When the Apollo missions occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the goal was to get astronauts to the moon and back as quickly as possible, said Hank Pernicka, the director of Missouri Science and Technology's space systems engineering laboratory.

"It was designed to maximize astronaut safety," he said.

Artemis I was un-maned.

The Artemis I mission is also meant to go further into deep space, while Apollo landed on the moon, Fairley said. She added that the Orion spacecraft is "larger and more advanced than the vehicles used during the Apollo program."

Fact check: Rocket propulsion functions in space because of universal physical laws, no air required

The Artemis I mission "will demonstrate the performance of both Orion and the SLS rocket and test our capabilities to orbit the Moon and return to Earth," according to the NASA Artemis I presskit. "The flight will pave the way for future missions to the lunar vicinity, including landing the first woman and first person of color on the surface of the Moon."

Images and videos related to the current mission can be found on NASA's website.

Our rating: Missing context

Based on our research, we rate MISSING CONTEXT the implication that the Artemis I mission is fake due to its longer flight time to reach the moon. The Orion spacecraft is larger and more advanced than the ones for the Apollo missions, and it has intentionally added more travel time for testing purposes, NASA says.