Artemis Physics Posts

Image: NASA. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen at sunrise atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Monday, April 4, 2022.

The Artemis I mission is scheduled for August 29th (2022) to launch the uncrewed Orion spacecraft in a journey to the moon (and back). I didn’t write a blog post about this, and I feel like I should have. OK, instead here are a bunch of posts and videos related to rockets and the moon and stuff.

Why are astronauts “weightless” in space?

Why Do Astronauts Float Around in Space?

Here is my basic description of why we feel weight on the surface of the Earth (usually) and why we don’t while in orbit.

How would you run on the surface of the moon?

A Comprehensive Guide to the Physics of Running on the Moon

The goal of Artemis is to eventually land some humans on the surface of the moon. How would you run on the moon? You could run quite a bit faster — not because of the lack of air, but because you can launch yourself off the ground for longer times…