SLS was within 3 miles of its target

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An analysis of the huge Space Launch System rocket that boosted the Orion capsule on its way early Wednesday showed it performed almost exactly as expected, taking off atop 8.8 million pounds of thrust and producing a ground-shaking shock wave that literally blew the doors off launch pad elevators.

The core stage’s four upgraded space shuttle main engines and twin solid-fuel boosters propelled the 322-foot-tall rocket out of the atmosphere and into space almost exactly as planned. At main engine cutoff, the altitude and within 5 mph of the predicted velocity.

A stunning “selfie” of the Orion spacecraft and the moon as the capsule closed in for a course-changing lunar flyby.

“When you think about the size of the system that we have and how much performance it puts out when the engines are full at throttle … the core stage engine shutdown missed by seven feet per second, which is simply buy phone number list remarkable,” said Artemis 1 Mission Manager Mike Sarafin.

The rocket’s upper stage provided a trouble-free boost out of Earth orbit, sending the Orion spacecraft on its way to the moon.

“The vehicle continues to operate exceptionally, we have seen really good performance across the board on all our subsystems and systems, and certainly really happy with the performance,” said Orion program manager Howard Hu. “Today was a terrific day.”

He had reason to be pleased. Early Monday, the capsule reached its target, using its main engine to set up a low-altitude flyby that carried the spacecraft within about 80 miles of the lunar surface.

The Earth sets on the lunar horizon as the Orion spacecraft passes out of contact over the far side of the moon.