The Artemis I mission from Kennedy Space Center launched on the night of November 16th 2022, but it took several years of hard work by thousands of NASA employees and contractors to make it happen. This unmanned mission was the first step to putting humans back on the surface of the moon and it launched from SLC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We have been lucky enough over the years to visit KSC in order to cover the progress of the launch and below you’ll see some of the many photos taken during those visits including the night of the launch itself.
This was taken from several levels up inside High Bay 3 while the different levels were being installed for the Artemis I mission.
Another image taken during the construction inside High Bay 3, this one is from ground level.
Here is a look at the fully stacked SLS sitting inside of High Bay 3, taken from the other side of the VAB.
SLS rolling out to SLC-39B for the first time.
A closer look at Crawler/ Transporter 2 as it heads out to SLC-39B.
SLS continuing its journey out to SLC-39B during the first rollout.
A look at the SLS sitting at SLC-39B with Crawler/ Transporter 2 still hanging out.
A closer look at the housing for the Orion capsule.
One of so many photos taken of the SLS sitting at SLC-39B waiting for launch day.
There’s not much more rare of a photo than me taking a selfie.
These were the cameras I had set up at SLC-39B to capture the launch from up close. Those of us who set out remote cameras had to reset them remove them and set them back up multiple times before the launch actually took place. Several people lost cameras due to the storms that blew through on different days, but mine made it through intact. Unfortunately, the GoPro ran out of battery power due to scrubs and the SLR had a fogged up lens from the very humid night that the launch took place.
Here is the night of the second and final rollout.
When you have the opportunity to get a photo of your car with the largest rocket on the planet in the background, you take a few.
One more image from the final rollout.
The SLS sitting back out at SLC-39B.
It never got old going out to get photos of this historic event.
On the night of November 16th, 2022, the candle was finally lit and the Artemis I mission began. The Orion capsule successfully circled the moon and returned to Earth, setting up the manned Artemis II mission that will hopefully launch in late 2024.
