Counting Down to Artemis
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
What comes at the end of our countdown?
Blast Off!
Are you ready to go to the moon and back?
NASA is.
Let's send some science to the moon!
We live just a few miles away from Kennedy Space Center, in Florida.
And we are going to watch Artemis 1 launch!
Here are some activities that we're doing to gear up for the launch - and to follow the mission!
Matching Countdown Cards
We made cards with the numbers 1-10, and made cards with dots to represent the numbers from 1-10.
(We did this while wearing princess dresses because who doesn't love to pretend to be a space princess?)
What Path Will Artemis 1 Take?
Here is a map from NASA that explains every aspect of the Artemis 1 launch and return. It's a tricky path, with lots of things that need to go right along the way. Here is a picture of the overview.
Here is a link to a higher resolution copy, you will be able to zoom in and read all the details.
It is going to take 42 days for Artemis 1 to travel to our Moon and back!
Our 9 year old drew her own directions for a rocket. Here's a picture of her explaining her drawing to me.
I bet you can draw something fun, too!
LEGO Education Resources
Did you know that NASA and LEGO teamed up to make a suite of resources for teachers, clubs, and families around the Artemis program?
It's called LEGO Build to Launch!
Here is a picture of their LEGO cast of characters.
Here's a link to the main website: https://education.lego.com/en-us/build-to-launch
They have made 10 lessons so far, which are designed to be viewed once a week. They feature interviews with NASA communicators, scientists, engineers, and more - all sorts of careers to explore along the way.
Official NASA Launch Coverage
We have been following along with the launch preparations through NASA TV. But honestly it's pretty boring for kids and more fun for parents. Still it is fun to see the diverse people involved with the launch. Here is a link to their YouTube channel:
NASA Artemis Press Kit
Do you want to explore all the great aspects of the Artemis 1 mission?
Check out the NASA Press Kit! They share all the great details. You can explore this website to look more in depth at the aspects of the mission that interest you!
Stuffied Animals in Space!
Snoopy is back for Artemis! He was a special part of the Apollo missions. Now he is flying as the Zero G indicator for NASA. Here's a photo of him checking out the crew capsule where he will ride (NASA image archives)
Here's the press release about it: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/snoopy-to-fly-on-nasas-artemis-i-moon-mission
Here are some lessons with Snoopy!
You can find all of the lessons designed for grades Kindergarten through 6th grade here:
Shaun the Sheep is flying in the Euopean module of Artemis for the ESA. (ESA image archives)
Read about his adventures here!
Other Lessons About Launches
Here is a link to a bunch of our old lessons about launches.
NASA Resources
NASA has a lot of great resources for the Artemis program. This includes great challenges for junior high and high school students. Check them out here!
Launch Day!
Here's a picture that our 9 year old drew of the SLS going to the moon.
Keeping active today? Try out a game of Solar System Hopscotch. Grab your sidewalk chalk and draw out the planets and their orbits around the sun. Toss a rock and see where it lands. Hop to that planet and skip around its whole orbit. Here's a video of us playing.
Enjoy the countdown!
On Wednesday November 16, 2022 at 1:47am, Artemis 1 launched from Kennedy Space Center!
One of our children slept through it somehow, but the other two watched in awe as a giant controlled fireball tore through Earth's atmosphere on its way around our Moon. Our 3 year old said: "Best rocket ever."
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