Tag Archives: Florida

Artemis I unmanned flight-test set to launch Aug. 29, 2022 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida weather permitting. Flight to provide commitment to Human deep space exploration with goal to return humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond. (Update, Sept. 3: Artemis I Flight-Test scrubbed and now postponed until further notice)

With Artemis I, NASA sets the stage for human exploration into deep space, where astronauts will build and begin testing the systems near the Moon needed for lunar surface missions and exploration to other destinations farther from Earth, including Mars. With Artemis, NASA will collaborate with industry and international partners to establish long-term exploration for the first time.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida -Artemis I is the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I is an unmanned flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to return humans to the Moon and extend beyond.

  • Launch site: Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
  • Launch date: Aug. 29, 2022
  • Launch window: 8:33 a.m. EDT to 10:33 a.m.
  • Mission Duration: 42 days, 3 hours, 20 minutes
  • Destination: distant retrograde orbit around the Moon
  • Total mission miles: approximately 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers)
  • Targeted splashdown site: Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego
  • Return speed: Up to 25,000 mph (40,000 kph)
  • Splashdown: Oct. 10, 2022

During this flight, Orion will launch atop the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown. Over the course of the mission, it will travel 280,000 miles (450,000 kilometers) from Earth and 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) beyond the far side of the Moon. Orion will stay in space longer than any human spacecraft has without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

This first Artemis mission will demonstrate the performance of both Orion and the SLS rocket and test our capabilities to orbit the Moon and return to Earth. 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.

With Artemis I, NASA sets the stage for human exploration into deep space, where astronauts will build and begin testing the systems near the Moon needed for lunar surface missions and exploration to other destinations farther from Earth, including Mars. With Artemis, NASA will collaborate with industry and international partners to establish long-term exploration for the first time.

Launch

SLS and Orion will blast off from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s modernized spaceport at Kennedy. Propelled by a pair of five-segment boosters and four RS-25 engines, the rocket will reach the period of greatest atmospheric force within 90 seconds. The solid rocket boosters will burn through their propellant and separate after approximately two minutes, and the core stage and RS-25s will deplete propellant after approximately eight minutes. After jettisoning the boosters, service module panels, and launch abort system, the core stage engines will shut down and the core stage will separate from the spacecraft, leaving Orion attached to the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) that will propel it toward the Moon.

As the spacecraft makes an orbit of Earth and deploys its solar arrays, the ICPS will give Orion the big push it needs to leave Earth’s orbit and travel toward the Moon. This maneuver, known as the trans-lunar injection, precisely targets a point about the Moon that will guide Orion close enough to be captured by the Moon’s gravity.

In Space

Orion will separate from the ICPS approximately two hours after launch. The ICPS will then deploy ten small satellites, known as CubeSats, along the way to study the Moon or head father out to deep space destinations. As Orion continues on its path from Earth orbit to the Moon, it will be propelled by a service module provided by ESA (European Space Agency) that will course-correct as needed along the way. The service module supplies the spacecraft’s main propulsion system and power.

The outbound trip to the Moon will take several days, during which time engineers will evaluate the spacecraft’s systems. Orion will fly about 60 miles (97 kilometers) above the surface of the Moon at its closest approach, and then use the Moon’s gravitational force to propel Orion into a distant retrograde orbit, traveling about 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) past the Moon. This distance is 30,000 miles (48,000 kilometers) farther than the previous record set during Apollo 13 and the farthest in space any spacecraft built for humans has flown.

For its return trip to Earth, Orion will get another gravity assist from the Moon as it does a second close flyby, firing engines at precisely the right time to harness the Moon’s gravity and accelerate back toward Earth, setting itself on a trajectory to re-enter our planet’s atmosphere.

Landing

The mission will end with a test of Orion’s capability to return safely to Earth. Orion will enter Earth’s atmosphere traveling at about 25,000 mph (40,000 kph). Earth’s atmosphere will slow the spacecraft down to a speed of about 300 mph (480 kph), producing temperatures of approximately 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,800 degrees Celsius) and testing the heat shield’s performance.

Once the spacecraft has passed this extreme heating phase of flight, the forward bay cover that protects its parachutes will be jettisoned. Orion’s two drogue parachutes deploy first, at 25,000 feet (7,600 meters), and within a minute slow Orion to about 100 mph (160 kph) before being released. They are followed by three pilot parachutes that pull out the three main parachutes which will slow Orion’s descent to less than 20 mph (32 kph). The spacecraft will make a precise landing within eyesight of the recovery ship off the coast of San Diego.

Recovery Operations

The Landing and Recovery Team, led by NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems program at Kennedy, will be responsible for safely recovering the capsule after splashdown. The interagency landing and recovery team consists of personnel and assets from the U.S. Department of Defense, including Navy amphibious specialists and Air Force weather specialists, and engineers and technicians from Kennedy, Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Lockheed Martin Space Operations.

Before splashdown, the team will head out to sea in a Navy ship. At the direction of the NASA Recovery Director, Navy divers and other team members in several inflatable boats will be cleared to approach Orion. Divers will then attach a cable to the spacecraft and pull it by winch into a specially designed cradle inside the ship’s well deck. The vessel will transport the spacecraft and other hardware to a pier at U.S. Naval Base San Diego for transport to Kennedy.

Open water personnel will also work to recover Orion’s forward bay cover and three main parachutes. If teams are able to recover the jettisoned cover and parachutes, engineers will inspect the hardware and gather additional performance data.

Times below are based on a potential launch opportunity Aug. 29 at 8:33 a.m. Eastern. The timing of events may change if launch occurs at a time other than the opening of the two-hour launch window. All times Eastern.

Flight Day 1

8:33 a.m.: Liftoff

8:35:12 a.m. – Solid Rocket Booster separation (Mission Elapsed Time 00:02:12)

8:36:13 a.m. – Service module fairing jettison (MET 00:03:13)

8:36:19 a.m. – Launch abort system jettison (MET 00:03:19)

8:41:04 a.m. – Core stage main engine cutoff commanded (MET 00:08:04)

8:41:16 a.m. – Core Stage/ICPS separation (MET 00:08:16)

8:51:10 a.m. – Orion Solar Array Wing Deploy Begins (MET 00:18:20)

  • Approximately 12 minutes in duration(~60 miles)

9:24:22 a.m. – Perigee Raise Maneuver (MET 00:51:22)

  • 22 seconds in duration

10:11:03 a.m. – Trans-lunar injection (MET 01:38:03)

  • 17 minute, 59 second burn

11:39:10 a.m. – Orion/ICPS separation (MET 02:06:10)

11:40:31 a.m. – Upper Stage Separation Burn (MET 02:07:31)

12:03:10 p.m. – ICPS Disposal Burn (MET 03:30:10)

4:29:05 p.m. – Outbound Trajectory Correction-1 burn (MET 07:56:05)

  • First service module burn

Flight Day 2-5 – Outbound transit

Flight day 6-9 – Transit to Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) around the Moon

  • Flight Day 6 (9/3): Outbound Powered Fly-by (burn 9:11 p.m.), Lunar Closest Approach (~60 miles)

Flight Day 10-23 – In DRO

  • Flight Day 10 (9/7): DRO Insertion (burn 8:54 a.m.)
  • Flight Day 11 (9/8): Orion passes Apollo 13 Record

Flight Day 24-34 – Exit DRO

  • Flight Day 24 (9/21): DRO Departure (burn 2:52 a.m.)
  • Flight Day 26: (9/23): Max distance from Earth

Flight Day 35-42 – Return transit

  • Flight Day 35 (10/3): Return Flyby (burn 12:06 a.m.), Second Closest Approach (~500 miles)

Flight Day 43 (10/10)- Entry and splashdown (11:53 a.m.)

Universal Pictures’ Legendary Monsters Unite for First Time at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights in All-New Haunted Houses. The Epic Battle opens on September 8, 2022 at Universal Studios Hollywood and also at Universal Orlando Resort on September 2.

Universal Pictures’ Legendary Monsters The Wolf Man, Dracula and The Mummy
Unite for the First Time Ever at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights
in All-New Haunted Houses, “Universal Monsters: Legends Collide.”The Epic Battle Begins at Universal Orlando Resort on September 2, and opening September 8 at Universal Studios Hollywood
.

Orlando, Fla., Universal City, Calif. (May 17, 2022) – Universal Pictures’ most notorious horror icons, The Wolf Man, Dracula and The Mummy, come together for the first time ever in the all-new “Universal Monsters: Legends Collide” haunted houses as part of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort – where these infamous classic monsters invite guests to join them in an epic battle beginning this September.

Halloween Horror Nights continues to expand on the thrilling legacy from Universal Pictures – the movie studio that birthed the classic horror monsters on screen – with this original haunted house debuting at Universal Studios’ theme parks from coast-to-coast.  Inspired by the event’s previous Universal Monsters attractions, this year’s unique experience resurrects the monstrous triple threat of The Wolf Man, Dracula and The Mummy for one harrowing haunted house.

This bi-coastal experience will transport guests to the 19th century with the trio of monsters seeking one thing: The Amulet of Ra. The Wolf Man believes this ancient relic contains the power to finally lift his dreaded curse, while Dracula and The Mummy have nefarious plans to use it to bring humankind to its knees. With the full moon on the rise and a race against time, guests find themselves entangled in a bloodthirsty battle between the terrifying titans – and only one will survive.  

Elevating the mayhem, GRAMMY® Award-winning musician, SLASH, returns to collaborate with Universal Studios Hollywood with an original composition for their haunted house.   

Halloween Horror Nights begins on Friday, September 2 in Orlando with 10 terrifying haunted houses and Thursday, September 8 in Hollywood with eight frightening haunted houses. Both events will run select nights through Monday, October 31, and additional details will be revealed soon.

Tickets and vacation packages are now on sale for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort,  and tickets for Universal Studios Hollywood will be available soon. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

UNIVERSAL PARKS & RESORTS AND NINTENDO WILL BRING THE FUN OF NINTENDO TO LIFE WITH EXPANSIVE, HIGHLY THEMED ENVIRONMENTS AT OSAKA, ORLANDO AND HOLLYWOOD

Shigeru Miyamoto, Senior Managing Director and Creative Fellow of Nintendo, discusses attraction features with Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative. © 2016 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Shigeru Miyamoto, Senior Managing Director and Creative Fellow of Nintendo, discusses attraction features with Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative. © 2016 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Kyoto, Japan and ORLANDO, Florida, Hollywood, Calif. – Imagine the fun of stepping into a larger-than-life Nintendo adventure.  Gigantic Piranha Plants spring to life.  Question blocks, power-ups and more surround you.  And Mario and all his friends are there to pull you into a brand-new world.

You will enter an entire realm filled with iconic Nintendo excitement, gameplay, heroes and villains.   And it is coming to three Universal theme parks around the globe.

Click Here for Official Announcement Video

The creative visionaries behind Nintendo’s legendary worlds and characters are working together with the creative teams behind Universal’s blockbuster theme park attractions.  Their goal: to bring the characters, action and adventure of Nintendo video games to life within Universal theme parks.  And to do so in new and innovative ways that capture what makes them so special.  All of the adventure, fun and whimsy you experience through a screen will now be all around you – in breathtakingly authentic ways.

  • Nintendo-themed areas are coming to Universal Studios Japan, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.
  • These will be expansive, immersive and interactive.  They will be highly themed and authentic environments filled with multiple attractions, shops and restaurants.
  • Guests will feel as if they are playing inside their favorite games – this time in real life.
  • There will be something for everyone – regardless of their age or gaming experience level.
  • Planning and creative work on these areas is well underway; they will open separately over the next several years.

The new themed areas come as the result of a global partnership between Universal Parks & Resorts and Nintendo – two icons of the entertainment world.  Universal theme parks create incredibly popular family entertainment experiences for millions of people based on compelling characters, stories and innovative technology.  Nintendo creates remarkable and imaginative games filled with captivating stories and beloved characters.

Each Universal theme park will announce details of its specific Nintendo areas.  The first such announcement will come soon.

About Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks & Resorts, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal, offers guests around the globe today’s most relevant and popular entertainment experiences. With three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg as creative consultant, its theme parks are known for immersive experiences that feature some of the world’s most thrilling and technologically advanced film- and television-based attractions.

Comcast NBCUniversal wholly owns Universal Studios Hollywood, which includes Universal CityWalk Hollywood. It also owns Universal Orlando Resort, a destination resort with two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure), five resort hotels, and Universal CityWalk Orlando. In addition, Comcast NBCUniversal owns a 51 percent majority interest in Universal Studios Japan, in Osaka and has a license agreement with Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.  The company has also announced plans for a theme park in Beijing.

About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™and Wii™home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™and Nintendo DS™families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 696 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™and Pokémon™.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPjTaLzYwN4&feature=youtu.be