How We Make Rockets That Reach the Moon

Join Dr. Roger Billings and the Science Live team as we explore how we make rockets that reach the Moon, featuring NASA’s Artemis II mission — the first crewed return to the Moon in over 50 years!

In this lesson, discover what makes the massive SLS rocket so powerful: its giant solid rocket boosters, liquid hydrogen fuel, and the incredible engineering that lifts millions of pounds into space. You’ll also explore the advanced Orion spacecraft, the groundbreaking laser communication system that beamed HD video from 240,000 miles away, and the record-breaking 252,000-mile journey that took humans farther from Earth than ever before.

Whether you’re a budding space enthusiast, curious about the Artemis program, learning about rocket science, or dreaming of becoming an astronaut, this lesson has something for you. Perfect for students who want to understand the real engineering and technology behind sending rockets — and people — all the way to the Moon and beyond!

➡️ r-51’s Martian Pet Rock Guide

About DrB

Dr. Roger Billings is a visionary innovator whose work has touched the lives of millions of students and transformed the landscape of education. Widely known as “DrB” to the countless kids who benefit from his groundbreaking Acellus learning system, Dr. Billings has dedicated his life to advancing education through technology. As part of DrB’s lifelong commitment to supporting education, Science LIVE was launched as a way to “give back” by mentoring students in conjunction with the Roger Billings Scholarship Program.


Read more about DrB » 
About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »

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3,283 Comments

  1. Kaira

    Congrats to the Artemis 2 crew!

    Reply
  2. Iyzaiyah

    Its so crazy to think people went to the moon before!

    Reply
  3. Anna

    Hi everyone, Anna Akhverdiyeva here from Brooklyn, New York, USA.

    That was so interesting about the rockets and about the moon!!!

    Thank you Science Live!!!

    Reply
  4. Avery

    How much fuel did it take Artimis 2 to get to the moon and back?

    Reply
  5. Jayden

    Another awesome science live! I love it

    Reply
  6. Avi

    This was the best episode ever!

    Reply
  7. Zaden

    Great video!!

    Reply
  8. Kaiya

    How far in the future do you think it will take for us to colonize Mars?

    Reply
  9. Alahna

    The live was interesting!

    Reply
  10. Love-jadis

    Had fun learning about rockets and what NASA is planning.

    Reply
  11. Jeremiah

    Hello from Colorado

    Reply
  12. Jakob

    I like how the jets on the rocket look like giant crayons because they round off instead of ending at a point.

    Reply
  13. Abigail

    I found this particular Science Live very interesting ☺️

    Reply
  14. Nyla

    LOVE YOU, SEE NEXT WENDSDAY

    Reply
  15. Sequoia

    Space is so cool!

    Reply
  16. Nathanel

    hi from Florida

    Reply
  17. Connor

    this scince live was SoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooCOOL

    Reply
  18. Elise

    see you next time

    Reply
  19. Izayah

    One of the best science lives so far!

    Reply
  20. Noelle

    Thank you all for tonight’s live!! Have a blessed night everyone

    Reply
  21. Bella

    Loved the rocks that R51 got form mars they were so cute

    Reply
  22. Michael

    I think it would be cool if humans cood make it to mars.

    Reply
  23. Harper

    When will Artimis 3 take place?

    Reply
  24. Elisha

    I loved learning more about Artemis 2 this Science live, and I’m really excited about some of the new Acellus Courses that are coming out and are already out! I’m also glad they explained why Science Live is a bit different now. Thank you for Acellus and another Science Live!

    Reply
  25. Tyrell

    I hope the next Artemis mission goes so well!

    Reply
  26. Zoey

    Science is so cool.

    Reply
  27. Kaison

    I love R-51 so much!!!
    See you all next week!

    Reply
  28. Oakley

    I love science

    Reply
  29. Peyton

    Love hearing about the Artemis mission

    Reply
  30. Aleika

    Cannot wait for next weeks video, me and my brother watch it together!!!!!

    Reply
    • Manavii

      I love science live!

      Reply
  31. Julius

    Love the live!

    Reply
  32. Leonard

    Thank you for this video

    Reply
  33. Evan

    i enjoyed it

    Reply
  34. Logan

    Awesome video I love the facts that I have learned today. Thank you so much for everything.

    Reply
  35. Logan

    Good science live tonight.

    Reply
  36. Hayden

    R-51 always brings the humor. Now I’m going out to look at the moon, just like you said.

    Reply
  37. Ariel

    It’s great to be alive during another space exploration era.

    Reply
  38. Julian

    I enjoyed this

    Reply
  39. Emilee

    I enjoyed learning something new.

    Reply
  40. Camden

    I LOVE SCIENCE LIVES THEY ARE AWESOME

    Reply
  41. Rileigh

    It would be so cool to be an astronaut

    Reply
  42. Joel

    I love science live.

    Reply
  43. Moriyah

    VERY interesting once again 🙂‍↕️

    Reply
  44. Jaxson

    This was a good one! I loved learning about how life on Mars would be

    Reply
  45. Bella

    If the only real problem during the mission was the toilets, that is pretty amazing.

    Reply
  46. Kaylee

    hi from md

    Reply
  47. Olin

    I love science life

    Reply
  48. Hayden

    It’s amazing how far we’ve come.

    Reply
  49. Skyler

    Love the live

    Reply
  50. Levi

    Thanks for having a great science live

    Reply
  51. Kehlani

    I love science live

    Reply
  52. Ariana

    I love r-51

    Reply
  53. Evangelina

    This was my probably favorite live so far.

    Reply
  54. Adrianna

    I hope one day we will be able to travel to Mars and find out if Mars is capable of holding human life similar to Earth.

    Reply
  55. Alyssa

    Hope everyone has a good week.

    Reply
  56. Hosea

    This weeks science live video was very interesting and funny. The Artemis II mission was a great accomplishment, and also a big stepping stone for future missions.

    Reply
  57. Rileigh

    This is awesome

    Reply
  58. Tristan

    Great Program!

    Reply
  59. Aleigha

    This episode of Science Live was very interesting and enjoyable! 🙃

    Reply
    • Paul

      Maybe this could be enough evidence to show proof the moon landing is real! Thanks Roger billings!

      Reply
  60. Audrey

    The entire Artemis || mission is very intriguing!!!😊

    Reply
  61. Aleika

    I love rocket science!!

    Reply
  62. Carter

    Hello from Texas.

    Reply
  63. Lily

    I like learning about the structure of the rocket.

    Reply
  64. Trevor

    Hello from Nebraska. It’s crazy to think that they used hydrogen to go around the moon!

    Reply
  65. Rhyan

    I loved hearing about the space mission its very interesting

    Reply
  66. Rileigh

    This is so cool

    Reply
  67. Evelin

    It’s cool how the four astronauts could go around the moon with the biggest rocket and could see a solar eclipse.

    Reply
  68. Andrea

    Today’s live was AMAZING!

    Reply
  69. Haven

    hi from va

    Reply
  70. Cam

    Hello from Maryland!

    Reply
  71. Thorian

    I’m happy about where the Artemis will go!

    Reply
  72. Hannah

    Amazing live! Thank you!

    Reply
  73. Rylan

    i love learning about space and the earth it seems i learn something new every time!!!

    Reply
  74. Yuchen

    I hope the astronauts had eye protection when they viewed the eclipse!

    Reply
  75. Daniel

    WOW! I didn’t even know that there was an accurate skeleton of a crocodile looking animal that eats dinosaurs! 😉 🙂

    Reply
  76. Hudsnn

    I am waiting to launch a water rocket. So cool to learn

    Reply
  77. Aleika

    Hello from Texas!!!

    Reply
  78. Silas

    What do you think rocket’s will look like in the future?

    Reply
  79. Nico

    This live was very cool

    Reply
  80. Alex

    When did dinosaurs first appear?

    Reply
  81. Isidore

    Tonight’s Science Live was great!

    Reply
  82. Owen

    Lol love R51

    Reply
  83. Tristan

    Great lesson today!

    Reply
  84. Zachery

    hi from Oklahoma

    Reply
  85. Juliet

    Hello from Virginia!

    Reply
  86. Audrey

    I really hope we can live on mars one day, that would be so cool!

    Reply
  87. Gabriel

    very nice live from ohio

    Reply
  88. Jabez

    Okey I LIKE IT. warning the world has just discovered a way to make the real-life star wars for they now have lasers in space.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  89. Shawn

    This science live was a very fun to watch! I really love space, so seeing and hearing information on it brings a smile to my face.

    Reply
  90. Carter

    Hello

    Reply
  91. Jayden

    Who was the first person to invent the rocket ship?

    Reply
  92. Emily

    Go Rockets!

    Reply
  93. Arianna

    hi from texas

    Reply
  94. Nikolina

    Watching science live from Houston!

    Reply
  95. Mayleigh

    I said this a bunch of times that the others where my favorite but THIS ones definitely my FAVORITE!

    Reply
  96. Tyler

    Hello from Arlington TN!!

    Reply
  97. Nicholas

    Hi everyone!

    Reply
  98. Carter

    this is great

    Reply
  99. Kelen

    This science live was awesome!

    Reply
  100. Lora

    R51 💚💚💚💚

    Reply
  101. Bailey

    i loved todays live! i love learning more about science i cant wait for next weeks video!

    Reply
  102. Leroy

    I wonder what new adventures we will have going to the moon now the travel seems more possible.

    Reply
  103. Rose

    My family and I LOVE watching Science Live!!!!!!! We watched the Artimus 2 on tv!!! Also keep up the good work r-51!!!

    Reply
  104. Julia

    This was amazing! Goodnight!

    Reply
  105. Luis

    How are they able to get all these photos of the rocket in development?

    Reply
  106. Alexander

    Hello!

    Reply
  107. Baeleigh

    I looooved today’s Science Live, I’ve always found rockets and especially the moon just so amazing, I’m so excited to be able to learn all about them, and especially since people will be sent to the moon again in not too long now!

    Reply
  108. Solomon

    It was the r-s25 engines

    Reply
  109. Giselle

    Wow I just learned something new! I enjoyed this live so much. This is so cool I can’t believe this is the biggest rocket we have ever astronauts into space with.

    Reply
  110. Jett

    From Texas

    Reply
  111. Derick

    Thanks for another great science live! It always helps towards my attention span thanks.

    Reply
  112. Caiden

    Hello, from IL

    Reply
  113. Bridgette

    I enjoyed the explanation regarding the Artemis plans.

    Reply
  114. Pham

    Live Science is so helpful, i know a lot of rockets thank you!

    Reply
  115. Vernon

    When are humans going to the moon again?

    Reply
  116. Kaylee

    Hiiiii!!!! Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  117. Harley

    i always wondered what it would be like to land on mars

    Reply
  118. Oaklee

    Rockets are cool

    Reply
  119. Aiden

    Hearing about the space missions is very interesting

    Reply
  120. Bryan

    Cool video!

    Reply
  121. Joel

    Great live tonight

    Reply
  122. Christian

    HI from Maine

    Reply
  123. Esme

    This video was very cool, cant wait for next sunday!

    Reply
  124. Isaac

    The alien rocks were cute.

    Reply
  125. Cooper

    I was watching nasa go around the moon.

    Reply
  126. Ahmed

    My Mom points out the planets visible in the night sky. Tonight Jupiter appears close to the moon. We could also see Venus closer to the horizon.

    Reply
  127. Sophia

    I love rockets so much

    Reply
  128. Phoebe

    Space is so exciting! I can wait to see where we end up!

    Reply
  129. Raegan

    I can’t wait till the next live!

    Reply
  130. Autumn

    I loved this episode! I learned a lot,

    Reply
  131. Carli

    Hi from SC

    Reply
  132. Brayden

    Hello from Alabama!

    Reply
  133. Patrick

    Thank you so much

    Reply
  134. Mila

    I loved learning about Nasa’s Artemis II mission. The pictures of the moon and the solar eclipse were awesome!

    Reply
  135. Dejah

    Wow! I loved learning about the moon stuff and the art Artemis missions. I definitely will not forget about them communicating through the lasers.

    Reply
  136. Kristopher

    awesome video by the way

    Reply
  137. Caleb

    I really like the pictures from the astronauts, especially the one showing the earthshine around the moon.

    Reply
  138. Iyanna

    It’s really cool learning about rockets, thank you, Science Live!

    Reply
  139. Hazel

    how rockets evolve from the first creation (past), and having these dreams to go explore and look at us now..doing what most thought we couldn’t do, Truly amazing

    Reply
  140. Parker

    Super interesting show tonight.

    Reply
  141. Emoni

    I’m soo excited for this live!!

    Reply
  142. Avery

    This is awesome! Wow!

    Reply
  143. Emma

    The chemicals in the side Rockets of Artemis 2 are Ammoninum Perchlorate, Aluminum Powder, Polybutadiene Acrylonitrlie, Iron Oxide, and Hydrazine.

    Reply
  144. John

    Hello from AL!

    Reply
  145. Dae'na

    how long does it take to build a rocket

    Reply
  146. Jaidyn

    I think it is so interesting how the distance to the moon is calculated!

    Reply
  147. Kayden

    hi from texas

    Reply
  148. Emily

    Thanks so much!!! I enjoyed it!!!!

    Reply
  149. Sarai

    The path they look is in the shape of the infinity symbol

    Reply
  150. Ava

    great video!

    Reply
  151. Keegan

    It’s cool to see artemis!

    Reply
  152. Abigail

    One thing I liked in todays video was learning about the SLS rockets and what makes them so powerful. I also learned about the laser that was used as a communication system.

    Reply
  153. James

    Rockets are really cool and I’m glad the astronauts made it home safely.

    Reply
  154. Haydnn

    Have you ever thought about going to space?

    Reply
  155. Julia

    Those rocks look terrifying haha

    Reply
    • Rylee

      I love these vids

      Reply
  156. Gabriella

    I liked talking about rockets for todays science live

    Reply
    • Amazin

      i wonder how long does it take to build a rocket?

      Reply
  157. Karley

    The new space mission is so interesting to learn about

    Reply
  158. Kison

    What year was the first rocket launched and who launched it?

    Reply
  159. Jackie

    It’s pretty crazy to think that just 60 years ago space was a whole new frontier for us, but now that we’re able to shoot lasers though space to send messages shows just how much can change in less then a century in terms of technological and scientific advancements!

    Reply
  160. Diego

    Nice info

    Reply
  161. Brianna

    sorry for the late comment! these are amazing!

    Reply
    • Teagan

      I liked how they were talking about the Artemis mission

      Reply
  162. Jada

    Hello from VA.

    Reply
  163. Emily

    Thanks for the live!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

    Reply
  164. Julius

    This is so interesting i love the live!!!

    Reply
  165. S'nyah

    Great video.

    Reply
  166. Beily

    i loved wacthing this very good

    Reply
  167. Erika

    Very interesting episode!

    Reply
  168. Ladara

    Rockets are so cool, glad to learn about them!

    Reply
  169. Anna

    I’m so excited to watch this science live!

    Reply
  170. Coner

    i dont think that selling moon rocks would be too good of a buissness idea

    Reply
  171. Gabrielle

    The science live was great! Hope to see more soon.

    Reply
  172. Maeve

    hey from Illinois! hope everyone has a great night <3

    Reply
  173. Derek

    I liked the rocket prop at the end.

    Reply
  174. Kennedy

    Which planet would you like to live on besides Earth?

    The Artamis mission is so cool.

    Reply
  175. Avah

    I like seeing the guys in space

    Reply

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