posted 12-02-2016 03:03 PM               

NASA's First Flight With Crew Important Step on Long-term Return to the moon, Missions to Mars

Astronauts on their first flight aboard NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will venture around the moon. Their mission will be to confirm all of the spacecraft's systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the actual environment of deep space. The Artemis II flight test will be NASA's first mission with crew and will pave the way to land the first woman and next man on the moon on Artemis III. Building on those early missions, NASA's Artemis program will return humans to the moon for long-term exploration and future missions to worlds beyond, including Mars.

"The unique Artemis II mission profile will build upon the uncrewed Artemis I flight test by demonstrating a broad range of SLS and Orion capabilities needed on deep space missions," said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager. "This mission will prove Orion's critical life support systems are ready to sustain our astronauts on longer duration missions ahead and allow the crew to practice operations essential to the success of Artemis III."

Leaving Earth

The mission will launch a crew of four astronauts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Block 1 configuration of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The flight profile is called a hybrid free return trajectory. Orion will perform multiple maneuvers to raise its orbit around Earth and eventually place the crew on a lunar free return trajectory in which Earth's gravity will naturally pull Orion back home after flying by the moon.

The initial launch will be similar to Artemis I as SLS lofts Orion into space, and then jettisons the boosters, service module panels, and launch abort system, before the core stage engines shut down and the core stage separates from the upper stage and the spacecraft. With crew aboard this mission, Orion and the upper stage, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), will then orbit Earth twice to ensure Orion's systems are working as expected while still close to home. The spacecraft will first reach an initial orbit, flying in the shape of an ellipse, at an altitude of about 115 by 1,800 miles. The orbit will last a little over 90 minutes and will include the first firing of the ICPS to maintain Orion's path. After the first orbit, the ICPS will raise Orion to a high-Earth orbit. This maneuver will enable the spacecraft to build up enough speed for the eventual push toward the moon. The second, larger orbit will take approximately 23.5 hours with Orion flying in an ellipse between about 115 and 46,000 miles above Earth. For perspective, the International Space Station flies a nearly circular Earth orbit about 250 miles above our planet.

After the burn to enter high-Earth orbit, Orion will separate from the ICPS. The expended stage will have one final use before it is disposed through Earth's atmosphere—the crew will use it as a target for a proximity operations demonstration. During the demonstration, mission controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will monitor Orion as the astronauts transition the spacecraft to manual mode and pilot Orion's flight path and orientation. The crew will use Orion's onboard cameras and the view from the spacecraft's windows to line up with the ICPS as they approach and back away from the stage to assess Orion's handling qualities and related hardware and software. This demonstration will provide performance data and operational experience that cannot be readily gained on the ground in preparation for critical rendezvous, proximity operations and docking, as well as undocking operations in lunar orbit beginning on Artemis III.

Checking Critical Systems

Following the proximity operations demonstration, the crew will turn control of Orion back to mission controllers at Johnson and spend the remainder of the orbit verifying spacecraft system performance in the space environment. They will remove the Orion Crew Survival System suit they wear for launch and spend the remainder of the in-space mission in plain clothes, until they don their suits again to prepare for reentry into Earth's atmosphere and recovery from the ocean.

While still close to Earth, the crew will assess the performance of the life support systems necessary to generate breathable air and remove the carbon dioxide and water vapor produced when the astronauts breathe, talk, or exercise. The long orbital period around Earth provides an opportunity to test the systems during exercise periods, where the crew's metabolic rate is the highest, and a sleep period, where the crew's metabolic rate is the lowest. A change between the suit mode and cabin mode in the life support system, as well as performance of the system during exercise and sleep periods, will confirm the full range of life support system capabilities and ensure readiness for the lunar flyby portion of the mission.

Orion will also checkout the communication and navigation systems to confirm they are ready for the trip to the moon. While still in the elliptical orbit around Earth, Orion will briefly fly beyond the range of GPS satellites and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites of NASA's Near Space Network to allow an early checkout of agency's Deep Space Network communication and navigation capabilities. When Orion travels out to and around the moon, mission control will depend on the Deep Space Network to communicate with the astronauts, send imagery to Earth, and command the spacecraft.

After completing checkout procedures, Orion will perform the next propulsion move, called the translunar injection (TLI) burn. With the ICPS having done most of the work to put Orion into a high-Earth orbit, the service module will provide the last push needed to put Orion on a path toward the moon. The TLI burn will send crew on an outbound trip of about four days and around the backside of the moon where they will ultimately create a figure eight extending over 230,000 miles from Earth before Orion returns home.

To the moon and "Free" ride home

On the remainder of the trip, astronauts will continue to evaluate the spacecraft's systems, including including demonstrating Earth departure and return operations, practicing emergency procedures, and testing the radiation shelter, among other activities.

The Artemis II crew will travel 6,400 miles beyond the far side of the moon. From this vantage point, they will be able to see the Earth and the moon from Orion's windows, with the moon close in the foreground and the Earth nearly a quarter-million miles in the background.

With a return trip of about four days, the mission is expected to last just over 10 days. Instead of requiring propulsion on the return, this fuel-efficient trajectory harnesses the Earth-moon gravity field, ensuring that — after its trip around the far side of the moon — Orion will be pulled back naturally by Earth's gravity for the free return portion of the mission.

posted 08-09-2017 06:06 PM               

Orion Supplier Readies Shipment of Orion Astronauts' Windows on the Universe

When the first crew of astronauts fly aboard the Orion spacecraft, they will be able to look through a window and view the moon and Earth from their deep-space vantage point. The window panel that will provide that view is ready for shipment to NASA. AMRO Fabricating Corp., of South El Monte, California, has completed a section of the Orion pressure vessel, or underlying structure of the spacecraft that will send astronauts farther than humans have ever traveled before on Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2).

Above: The panel of Orion's underlying structure for Exploration Mission-2 containing the spacecraft's windows is manufactured by AMRO Fabricating Corp., in South El Monte, California.

Orion's four windows are contained in one of three cone panels that AMRO is manufacturing for NASA and Orion prime contractor, Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft's pressure vessel has seven structural elements, including the three cone panels. AMRO will ship the panel to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans by the end of August, where it will be outfitted with strain gauges and wiring for monitoring purposes and joined together with other pieces of the pressure vessel scheduled to arrive at Michoud in the coming months.

"Many of our suppliers around the country are already starting to manufacture elements of the Orion for our first mission with astronauts," said Paul Marshall, assistant program manager for Orion. "Their work enables NASA's push to expand our boundaries into space and eventually our voyage to Mars."

The pressure vessel forms the sealed environment inside where astronauts will live and the structure upon which all the other elements of the spacecraft are built and integrated. The components of Orion's pressure vessel are joined using the friction-stir welding process, which bonds the pieces by transforming metals from a solid into a plastic-like state and then forging a bond between the two metal components. Once all pressure vessel elements are welded together, the spacecraft will be sent to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for outfitting, processing and launch.

Other than several small changes to allow for interfaces with crew equipment or mounting of hardware specific to EM-2, the overall structure, manufacturing process and mass of the pressure vessel is the same as it is for the structure that will fly on the first mission of Orion and SLS, now that engineers have optimized the design of Orion's structure. Engineers are making progress on the EM-1 spacecraft, currently being assembled at Kennedy ahead of its 2019 launch.

AMRO is a third generation, family owned, small business manufacturer that specializes in building metallic structures for spacecraft and launch vehicles. In addition to its work for Orion, AMRO makes elements of the Space Launch System core stage and provided components for the space shuttle. This past February, AMRO successfully graduated from the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program – a program through the Office of Small Business Programs which encourages NASA prime contractors to assist eligible protégés, thereby enhancing the protégés' capabilities to perform on NASA contracts and subcontracts.

"I speak for everyone in the NASA Office of Small Business Programs when I express how proud we are of the tremendous contributions the AMRO Fabricating Corporation is making to the NASA mission," said Glenn Delgado, associate administrator of the Office of Small Business Programs in Washington. "Their growth and achievements are a shining example of what can be accomplished by our protégés. We look forward to AMRO's continued success."

Exploration Mission-2 will be NASA's first mission with crew in a series of missions in the proving ground, an area of space around the moon where crew can build and test systems needed to prepare for the challenge of missions to Mars. The mission will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the early 2020s.

posted 01-10-2018 06:51 PM               

At the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana, Lockheed Martin technicians complete the first weld on the pressure vessel for Orion which will carry humans to deep space on Exploration Mission-2.

posted 02-01-2018 09:17 AM               

Construction Begins on First Orion Spaceship that will take Astronauts Beyond the Moon

Construction has officially begun on the spaceship that will achieve America's goal of returning astronauts to the Moon. Lockheed Martin technicians and engineers at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans welded together the first two components of the Orion crew module capsule for Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2).

Orion is America's exploration spaceship, and the EM-2 mission will be its first flight with astronauts on board, taking them farther into the solar system than ever before. This flight, launched atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, will usher in a new era of space exploration, laying the groundwork for NASA's lunar Deep Space Gateway, and ultimately for human missions to Mars.

"Orion has tremendous momentum. We're finishing assembly of the EM-1 Orion spacecraft in Florida, and simultaneously starting production on the first one that will carry crew," said Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin vice president and program manager for Orion. "This is not only the most advanced spacecraft ever built, its production will be more efficient than any previous capsule. For example, look at the progress we've made on the EM-2 pressure vessel compared to the first one we built. The latest version is 30 percent lighter and has 80 percent fewer parts. That equates to a substantially more cost-effective and capable spacecraft."

Designed specifically to withstand the harsh and demanding environment of deep space travel while keeping the crew safe and productive, the main structure of the crew module, or pressure vessel, is comprised of seven large machined aluminum alloy pieces that are welded together to produce a strong, yet light-weight, air-tight capsule. The first weld joined the forward bulkhead with the tunnel section to create the top of the spacecraft.

The pressure vessel capsule will continue to be built out over the spring and summer in Michoud incorporating the three cone panels, the large barrel and the aft bulkhead. Once completed in September, it will be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center where the Lockheed Martin team will perform assembly and test of the EM-2 spacecraft.

"The EM-1 and EM-2 crew modules are very similar in design, but we've made a lot of improvements since we built EM-1, including processes, scheduling, and supply chain, all contributing to a lower cost and faster manufacturing," said Paul Anderson, director of Orion EM-2 production at Lockheed Martin.

But the historical importance of this Orion mission isn't lost to Anderson and his team. "Each of these spacecraft are important, but we realize that the EM-2 capsule is special as it's the first one to carry astronauts back out to the Moon, something we haven't done in a long time. It's something we think about every day."

posted 07-17-2018 09:27 PM               

Harris Corporation to Provide Astronaut Audio System for NASA's First Human Deep-Space Exploration Mission

Harris Corporation will provide the crucial audio communication system for NASA's first human deep-space exploration mission, scheduled to launch in 2022 onboard the Orion spacecraft.

Orion is NASA's first spacecraft designed for long-duration, deep-space exploration by humans. Harris was selected by Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for Orion, to deliver the audio system for Exploration Mission-2, the first crewed flight for the Orion spacecraft.

The system, which will enable astronauts to communicate with each other and NASA, will feature audio control units (ACU), audio interface units (AIU) and a speaker unit (SPU). The ACU provides central audio control and signal processing; the AIU is the push to talk interface clipped to the spacesuit or shirt sleeve; and the SPU transmits voice communications, as well as caution and warning alarm tones, in the cabin.

"The Harris-built audio system will be a crucial communications tool for astronauts on board this and future Orion missions, such as flights to Mars and beyond," said Murali Krishnan, vice president and general manager, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Harris Space and Intelligence Systems. "Being a part of NASA's Orion program positions Harris for future crewed space flight work, as the U.S. government continues to deepen its commitment to space exploration."

Harris' Space and Intelligence business designs, manufactures, and integrates systems for Earth and space observation and for satellite communications. The company's technology has been onboard every manned U.S. space mission.

posted 08-22-2018 04:37 PM               

Orion's Exploration Mission-2 crew module pressure vessel is packaged for shipment at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The crew module, which will carry humans around the Moon, will head to Kennedy Space Center for final assembly.

posted 08-28-2018 02:06 PM               

Lockheed Martin Begins Final Assembly on NASA's Orion Spaceship That Will Take Astronauts Further Than Ever Before

Core of World's Only Exploration-Class Spaceship Delivered to Cape Canaveral

Technicians have completed construction on the spacecraft capsule structure that will return astronauts to the Moon, and have successfully shipped the capsule to Florida for final assembly into a full spacecraft. The capsule structure, or pressure vessel, for NASA's Orion Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) spacecraft was welded together over the last seven months by Lockheed Martin technicians and engineers at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans.

Orion is the world's only exploration-class spaceship, and the EM-2 mission will be its first flight with astronauts on board, taking them farther into the solar system than ever before.

"It's great to see the EM-2 capsule arrive just as we are completing the final assembly of the EM-1 crew module," said Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin vice president and program manager for Orion. "We've learned a lot building the previous pressure vessels and spacecraft and the EM-2 spacecraft will be the most capable, cost-effective and efficient one we've built."

Orion's pressure vessel is made from seven large, machined aluminum alloy pieces that are welded together to produce a strong, light-weight, air-tight capsule. It was designed specifically to withstand the harsh and demanding environment of deep space travel while keeping the crew safe and productive.

"We're all taking extra care with this build and assembly, knowing that this spaceship is going to take astronauts back to the Moon for the first time in four decades," said Matt Wallo, senior manager of Lockheed Martin Orion Production at Michoud. "It's amazing to think that, one day soon, the crew will watch the sun rise over the lunar horizon through the windows of this pressure vessel. We're all humbled and proud to be doing our part for the future of exploration."

The capsule was shipped over the road from New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center, arriving on Friday, Aug. 24. Now in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, Lockheed Martin technicians will immediately start assembly and integration on the EM-2 crew module.

posted 07-12-2019 07:45 AM               

Heat Shield for First Artemis Mission with Astronauts Arrives at Kennedy

The state-of-the-art heat shield, measuring roughly 16 feet in diameter, which will protect astronauts upon re-entry on the second mission of Artemis, arrived this week at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for assembly and integration with the Orion crew module. Artemis 2, the first crewed mission in the series of missions to the Moon and on to Mars, will confirm all of the spacecraft's systems operate as designed in the actual environment of deep space with astronauts aboard.

The large piece of flight hardware arrived from Lockheed Martin's manufacturing facility near Denver aboard the NASA Super Guppy aircraft on July 9 and was transported to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout facility high bay where work will take place on July 10. Currently, the heat shield is a base titanium truss structure or skeleton. Over the next several months, technicians will apply Avcoat, an ablative material that will provide the thermal protection.

posted 07-08-2020 03:22 PM               

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the AVCOAT block bonding is complete on the Artemis II heat shield on July 2, 2020.

posted 09-01-2020 11:55 AM               

Final Launch Abort System Motor Arrives for Artemis II Crewed Mission

The last of three motors required to assemble the Launch Abort System for NASA's Artemis II mission–the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft–arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 28. The attitude control motor (ACM) was delivered by truck from Northrop Grumman's manufacturing facility in Maryland, to the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at Kennedy.

Above: The attitude control motor for the Artemis II mission arrives in the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 28, 2020. (NASA/Ben Smegelsky)

During launch of Orion atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket, the LAS motors work together to separate the spacecraft from the rocket in the unlikely event of an emergency during launch. The LAS includes three motors – the launch abort motor, the jettison motor, and the attitude control motor—that once activated, will steer the spacecraft carrying the astronauts to safety. The launch abort and attitude control motors were manufactured by Northrop Grumman; the jettison motor was manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The ACM operates to keep Orion's crew module on a controlled flight path in the event it needs to jettison and steer away from the rocket. It then reorients the crew module for parachute deployment and landing. The motor consists of a solid propellant gas generator, with eight proportional valves equally spaced around the outside of the 32-inch diameter motor. Together, the valves can exert up to 7,000 pounds of steering force to the vehicle in any direction upon command from the crew module.

Inside the LASF, the motor will be placed on a special trailer for future integration with the rest of the LAS elements. It will remain in the LASF midbay, where the Artemis I LAS is being integrated with its designated crew and service module for its mission next year.

posted 03-11-2021 03:36 PM               

These images show the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank and liquid hydrogen tank that will be used on the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility.

posted 05-27-2021 01:30 PM               

NASA Stacks Elements for Upper Portion of Artemis II Core Stage

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) team fully stacked three hardware elements together on May 24, 2021, to form the top of the rocket's core stage for the Artemis II mission.

NASA and core stage prime contractor Boeing connected the forward skirt with the liquid oxygen tank and intertank flight hardware inside an assembly area at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Teams had previously stacked the liquid oxygen tank and intertank on April 28.

The joining of the three structures together is the first major assembly of core stage hardware for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission and second flight of the SLS rocket.

Next, technicians will work to complete outfitting and integrating the systems within the upper structure. At 66 feet tall, the upper part of the stage is just a fraction of the entire core stage. The fully-assembled, 212-foot-tall rocket stage consists of five hardware elements, including two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines.

The liquid oxygen tank in the upper portion of the stage will hold 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen cooled to minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, the forward skirt and intertank house avionics, flight computer, and electronic systems for the rocket stage. Together, the core stage and its four RS-25 engines will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help send Artemis II astronauts beyond Earth's orbit to lunar orbit.

posted 08-17-2021 05:51 PM               

First Piece of Artemis II Flight Hardware Arrives in Florida

The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage for the second flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket arrived in Florida on July 28 for the final phase of production.

The stage and its single RL10 engine provide the in-space propulsion needed to send NASA's Orion spacecraft and its crew on a precise trajectory to the Moon for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis lunar missions. It is the first piece of the rocket for the Artemis II flight to arrive in Florida.

Boeing and United Launch Alliance, the contractor team for the stage, shipped the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage from ULA's facilities in Decatur, Alabama, to its Delta IV Operation Center at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The stage will undergo final processing and checkout before it is transported to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations.

posted 03-20-2023 03:45 PM               

NASA Connects All Major Structures of Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage

Teams at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have fully integrated all five major structures of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's core stage for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and return them home. Technicians joined the engine section to the rest of the rocket stage March 17. Next, teams will integrate the four RS-25 engines to the engine section to complete the stage.

Located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall core stage, the engine section is the most complex and intricate part of the rocket stage, helping to power Artemis missions to the Moon. In addition to its miles of cabling and hundreds of sensors, the engine section is a crucial attachment point for the RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters that produce a combined 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. It houses the engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling, and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the engines.

The core stage for Artemis II is built, outfitted, and assembled at Michoud. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone for astronauts on the way to Mars.

posted 04-03-2023 10:33 AM               

Four for the moon! NASA names Artemis II crew for first lunar mission since Apollo

NASA has named its first astronaut crew bound for the moon in more than 50 years.

The space agency on Monday (April 3) announced the four astronauts who will launch on its Artemis II mission to fly around the moon. The crew is expected to become the first moon voyagers since the Apollo program.

The Artemis II crew includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. Hansen is a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut flying under an agreement between the U.S. and Canada. He will be the first non-American to leave Earth orbit and fly to the moon.

posted 04-04-2023 12:00 AM               

Newly-named Artemis II crew to set firsts on lunar fly-by mission

The four astronauts who will fly on NASA's Artemis II mission are set to break records and establish a number of firsts — all starting with their being named to the crew.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch, all with NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) were announced on Monday (April 3) as the "first humans to fly to the vicinity of the moon in more than 50 years." They will spend 10 days in late 2024 testing NASA's Orion spacecraft in high Earth orbit and on a voyage to and from the moon.

posted 05-24-2023 10:47 AM               

Artemis II Orion Service Module Completes Acoustic Testing

Engineers recently completed a series of acoustic tests on the European Service Module for NASA's Artemis II mission while inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During the testing, engineers surrounded the service module with large speakers and attached microphones, accelerometers, and other equipment to measure the effects of different acoustic levels. Engineers and technicians will analyze the data collected during the tests to ensure the service module can withstand the speed and vibration it will experience during launch and throughout the mission.

With this test complete, the team is on track to integrate Orion's crew and service modules together later this year.

Above: The European Service Module for the Artemis II mission is photographed inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida while it was configured for acoustic testing. (NASA/Amanda Stevenson)

posted 06-28-2023 10:38 AM               

Orion Heat Shield Installed for NASA's Artemis II Mission

On June 25, 2023, teams completed installation of the heat shield for the Artemis II Orion spacecraft inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Above: Installation of the heat shield for the Artemis II Orion spacecraft was recently completed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA/Cory Huston)

The 16.5-foot-wide heat shield is one of the most important systems on the Orion spacecraft ensuring a safe return of the astronauts on board. As the spacecraft returns to Earth following its mission around the Moon, it will be traveling at speeds of about 25,000 mph and experience outside temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside the spacecraft, however, astronauts will experience a much more comfortable temperature in the mid-70s thanks to Orion's thermal protection system.

Up next, the spacecraft will be outfitted with some of its external panels ahead of acoustic testing later this summer. These tests will validate the crew module can withstand the vibrations it will experience throughout the Artemis II mission, during launch, flight, and landing.

Once acoustic testing is complete, technicians will attach the crew module to Orion's service module, marking a major milestone for the Artemis II mission, the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of Orion's systems needed for future crewed missions.

posted 08-11-2023 12:52 PM               

Technicians Add 'Target' to NASA Artemis II Rocket Hardware

A critical auxiliary target for NASA's Artemis II mission is ready for flight following testing at United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Florida facility.

Teams with the company added the target onto the in-space propulsion stage for NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at ULA's Delta Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, May 16. Following the safe separation of NASA's Orion spacecraft from the rocket's upper stage, the four astronauts aboard Orion will use the target affixed to the in-space stage for a proximity operations demonstration to test Orion's piloting qualities.

The recently installed target underwent illumination testing in May to ensure the target will be visible in the different lighting conditions of space.

The SLS rocket delivers propulsion in phases to send the Artemis missions to the Moon. Its ICPS (interim cryogenic propulsion stage) and its single RL10 engine fires twice during the Artemis II mission to put the Orion spacecraft and astronauts into a high-Earth orbit, where they will then check out Orion's manual handling qualities using the ICPS and its auxiliary target before then heading to the Moon.

During the demonstration, astronauts will use the two-foot target to test navigation and other critical Orion systems to assess its ability to approach and fly alongside another large spacecraft in space before future Artemis missions that require docking capabilities.

NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA's backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

posted 09-13-2023 01:27 PM               

First RS-25 Engine Installed to NASA's Artemis II Moon Rocket

Technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have installed the first of four RS-25 engines on the core stage of the agency's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help power NASA's first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon. During Artemis II, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will launch on SLS and journey around the Moon inside the Orion spacecraft during an approximately 10-day mission in preparation for future lunar missions.

The Sept. 11 engine installation follows the joining of all five major structures that make up the SLS core stage earlier this spring. NASA, lead RS-25 engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company, and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, will continue integrating the remaining three engines into the stage and installing the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure.

All four RS-25 engines are located at the base of the core stage within the engine section, which protects the engines from the extreme temperatures during launch and has an aerodynamic boat tail fairing to channel airflow. During launch and flight, the four engines will fire nonstop for over eight minutes, consuming propellant from the core stage's two massive propellant tanks at a rate of 1,500 gallons (5,678 liters) per second.

Each SLS engine has a different serial number. The serial number for the engine installed Sept. 11 in position two on the core stage is E2059. It along with the engine in position one, E2047, previously flew on space shuttle flights. E2047 is the most veteran engine of the entire set flying on Artemis II with 15 shuttle flights, including STS-98, which delivered the Destiny Laboratory Module to the International Space Station in 2001. The engines installed in positions three and four (E2062 and E2063) are new engines that include previously flown hardware.

posted 09-20-2023 06:21 PM               

Artemis II Astronauts Successfully Conduct Launch Day Demonstration

The Artemis II crew and teams with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program successfully completed the first in a series of integrated ground system tests at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for their mission around the Moon.

Above: Artemis II astronauts, from left, NASA astronaut Victor Glover (left), CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman stand on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. (NASA/Frank Michaux)

On Wednesday (Sept. 20), NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, practiced the procedures they will undergo on launch day to prepare for their ride to space.

The crew awoke at their crew quarters inside Kennedy's Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkouts building before putting on test versions of the Orion crew survival system spacesuits they will wear on launch day. They then departed in NASA's new Artemis crew transportation fleet to take them to Launch Pad 39B, traversing the nine-mile journey to the pad. Wiseman and Glover headed over in the first electric vehicle as Koch and Hansen followed them in the second.

Upon arrival at the pad, the crew headed onto the mobile launcher and proceeded up the tower to the white room inside the crew access arm. From this area, the astronauts will have access to enter and exit the Orion spacecraft – only for this test, there was no Orion or SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.

"When we walked out that crew access arm, I just had images of all those Apollo launches and shuttle launches that I saw as a kid and it was unreal," Glover said. "I actually had to stop and just stay in the moment to really let it all sink in."

Successful completion of this test ensures both the crew and the ground systems teams at Kennedy are prepared and understand the timeline of their events for launch day.

posted 09-25-2023 03:31 PM               

All Engines Added to NASA's Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage

Teams at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have structurally joined all four RS-25 engines onto the core stage for NASA's Artemis II rocket.

Technicians added the first engine to NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage Sept. 11. Teams installed the second engine onto the stage Sept. 15 with the third and fourth engines Sept. 19 and Sept. 20. Technicians with NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company and the RS-25 engines lead contractor, along with Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, now will focus efforts on the complex task of fully securing the engines to the stage and integrating the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure.

posted 09-25-2023 05:19 PM               

Artemis II SLS Rocket Booster Segments Arrive to Kennedy Space Center

The 10 booster motor segments for NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help propel the Artemis II astronauts on a trip around the moon arrived at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Sept. 25. They will form the SLS rocket's twin, five-segment solid rocket boosters, which produce more than 75 percent of the total thrust at liftoff, to send NASA's Artemis missions to the moon.

Due to their weight, the 10 booster motor segments traveled by rail across eight states in specialized transporters to the spaceport. Teams with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program now are preparing to process each of the segments inside the space center's Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility ahead of integrating them inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.

"The arrival of the SLS solid rocket booster motor segments is an important turning point as NASA and our Artemis partners begin readying for stacking and launch preparations for Artemis II," said Amit Kshatriya, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Moon to Mars Program Office at NASA Headquarters. "Fully stacked, these boosters for NASA's SLS rocket are the largest, most powerful ever built for spaceflight and will help send the first astronauts around the Moon in more than 50 years."

Manufactured by SLS booster lead contractor Northrop Grumman in Utah, the SLS solid rocket boosters have three major assemblies with the motor segment being the largest portion of the booster. Teams will inspect them along with the forward and aft skirt assemblies of the boosters. They will then rotate the segments to a vertical position in preparation for stacking operations for Artemis II. The top and bottom portions of the boosters were previously assembled in the Booster Fabrication Facility at Kennedy.

Once processing is complete, crews will move all the major segments one at a time to the Vehicle Assembly Building where they will get stacked to form each of the 17-story-tall boosters that flank each side of the rocket. Following completion, engineers and technicians will integrate the rocket's core stage.

posted 10-23-2023 01:17 PM               

Artemis II Orion Crew and Service Modules Joined Together

On Oct. 19, the Orion crew and service modules for the Artemis II mission were joined together inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Above: Integration of the crew and service modules for the Artemis II Orion spacecraft was recently completed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA)

After successfully completing hardware installations and testing over the past several months, engineers connected the two major components of Orion that will fly NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a mission around the Moon and bring them home safely.

Now that the crew and service modules are integrated, the team will power up the combined crew and service module for the first time. After power on test are complete, Orion will begin altitude chamber testing, which will put the spacecraft through conditions as close as possible to the environment it will experience in the vacuum of deep space.

posted 01-09-2024 07:03 PM               

NASA delays Artemis II and III astronaut moon missions to 2025, '26

NASA has delayed the return of astronauts to the moon to address engineering issues and provide more time for the development of new vehicles and equipment.

The space agency had been targeting no earlier than November of this year for the launch of Artemis II carrying a four-person crew around the moon on a shakeout cruise for the Orion spacecraft. That mission is now expected to fly in September 2025, after teams at NASA and Lockheed Martin resolve known problems with the capsule's batteries and life support system, as well as gain a better understanding of the loss of part of the heat shield on an earlier test flight.

posted 01-26-2024 12:42 PM               

Teams with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program, in preparation for the agency's Artemis II crewed mission to the Moon, begin installing the first of four emergency egress baskets on the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.

The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.

posted 02-20-2024 12:26 PM               

Teams Add Iconic NASA 'Worm' Logo to Artemis II Rocket, Spacecraft

Art and science merge as teams add the NASA "worm" logo on the SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters and the Orion spacecraft's crew module adapter at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the agency's Artemis II mission.

Above: Workers with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) paint the bright red NASA "worm" logo on the side of an Artemis II solid rocket booster segment inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. (NASA/Glenn Benson)

The iconic logo was introduced in 1975 by the firm of Danne & Blackburn as a modern emblem for the agency. It emerged from a nearly 30-year retirement in 2020 for limited use on select missions and products.

NASA's Exploration Ground Systems and prime contractor Jacobs began painting the red logotype onto the segments that form the Moon rocket's two solid rocket boosters Jan. 22. To do so, crews used a laser projector to first mark off the location of the logo with tape, then applied two coats of paint and finished by adding several coats of clear primer. Each letter of the worm logo measures approximately 6 feet and 10 inches in height and altogether, stretches 25 feet from end to end, or a little less than the length of one of the rocket's booster motor segments.

The location of the worm logo will be moderately different from where it was during Artemis I. While it will still be located on each of the rocket's 17 story boosters, the modernist logo will be placed toward the front of the booster systems tunnel cover. The SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful solid propellant boosters ever flown and provide more than 75% of the thrust at launch.

Above: Teams adhered the agency's iconic "worm" logo and ESA (European Space Agency) insignia on the spacecraft's crew module adapter on Sunday, Jan. 28, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA/Rad Sinyak)

Around the corner inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy, personnel adhered the worm logo and ESA (European Space Agency) insignia Jan. 28 on the spacecraft's crew module adapter. The adapter houses electronic equipment for communications, power, and control, and includes an umbilical connector that bridges the electrical, data, and fluid systems between the main modules.

In October 2023, technicians joined the crew and service modules together. The crew module will house the four astronauts as they journey around the Moon and back to Earth on an approximately 10-day journey. The spacecraft's service module, provided by ESA, will supply the vehicle with electricity, propulsion, thermal control, air, and water in space.

posted 05-01-2024 05:23 PM               

NASA's Artemis II Orion Spacecraft Completes Electromagnetic Testing

On Friday, April 26, engineers completed a series of electromagnetic tests on the integrated Orion crew and service module for NASA's Artemis II mission inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During testing, engineers subjected the spacecraft to electromagnetic energy using wave guides, amplifiers, and antenna horns while inside an altitude chamber.

The test helps verify that all of Orion's electronic systems can work in sync and safeguards against potential malfunctions caused by electromagnetic disturbances in the harsh and complex environment of space. Engineers will analyze the data collected during testing to ensure all systems on Orion are not disturbed by electromagnetic energy and the spacecraft is ready to safely fly the crew around the Moon.

The team returned the spacecraft to the Final Assembly and System Testing, or FAST cell inside the O&C building following electromagnetic testing for additional work in preparation for further performance testing inside the vacuum chamber later this summer.

posted 07-03-2024 09:29 AM               

NASA Announces its Artemis II Backup Crew Member for Moon Mission

NASA has selected astronaut Andre Douglas as its backup crew member for the agency's Artemis II test flight, the first crewed mission under NASA's Artemis campaign.

Douglas will train alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

In the event a NASA astronaut is unable to take part in the flight, Douglas would join the Artemis II crew.

"Andre's educational background and extensive operational experience in his various jobs prior to joining NASA are clear evidence of his readiness to support this mission," said Joe Acaba, chief astronaut at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "He excelled in his astronaut candidate training and technical assignments, and we are confident he will continue to do so as NASA's backup crew member for Artemis II."

The CSA announced Jenni Gibbons as its backup crew member in November 2023. Gibbons would step into the mission to represent Canada should Hansen not be available.

"Canada's seat on the historic Artemis II flight is a direct result of our contribution of Canadarm3 to the lunar Gateway. Jenni Gibbons' assignment as backup is of utmost importance for our country," said CSA President Lisa Campbell. "Since being recruited, Jenni has distinguished herself repeatedly through her work with NASA and the CSA. She is also a tremendous role model for Canada's future scientists, engineers, and explorers."

The selection of Douglas and Gibbons as backup crew members for Artemis II is independent of the selection of crew members for Artemis III. NASA has not yet selected crew members for Artemis flights beyond Artemis II. All active NASA astronauts are eligible for assignment to any human spaceflight mission.

The approximately 10-day Artemis II test flight will launch on the agency's powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, prove the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems, and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space.

More on Artemis II backup crew

Douglas graduated from NASA's astronaut candidate training program in March 2024. He is a Virginia native and earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, as well as four post-graduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in Systems Engineering from George Washington University in Washington. Douglas served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect, salvage engineer, damage control assistant, and officer of the deck. He also worked as a staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, working on maritime robotics, planetary defense, and space exploration missions for NASA. Douglas participated in the Joint EVA and Human Surface Mobility Test Team 5, working with a specialized group that develops, integrates, and executes human-in-the-loop tests, analog missions, and Moonwalks. Most recently, Douglas worked with teams on the development of the lunar terrain vehicle, pressurized rover, lunar Gateway and lunar spacesuit.

Gibbons was recruited as a CSA astronaut in 2017 and completed her basic training in 2020. Since then, Gibbons has continued to serve Canada's space program and has worked in different positions, including Mission Control as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during spacewalks, and commercial spacecraft and daily International Space Station operations. Gibbons holds an honors bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in Montreal. While at McGill, she conducted research on flame propagation in microgravity in collaboration with CSA and Canada's National Research Council Flight Research Laboratory in Ontario. She holds a doctorate in engineering from Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, England.

posted 07-16-2024 09:04 AM               

NASA Moon Rocket Stage for Artemis II Moved, Prepped for Shipment

NASA is preparing the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage that will help power the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis campaign for shipment. On July 6, NASA and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, moved the Artemis II rocket stage to another part of the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The move comes as teams prepare to roll the massive rocket stage to the agency’s Pegasus barge for delivery to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in mid-July.

Prior to the move, technicians began removing external access stands, or scaffolding, surrounding the rocket stage in early June. NASA and Boeing teams used the scaffolding surrounding the core stage to assess the interior elements, including its complex avionics and propulsion systems. The 212-foot core stage has two huge propellant tanks, avionics and flight computer systems, and four RS-25 engines, which together enable the stage to operate during launch and flight.

The stage is fully manufactured and assembled at Michoud. Building, assembling, and transporting is a joint process for NASA, Boeing, and lead RS-25 engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company.

posted 07-16-2024 04:42 PM               

NASA Ships Moon Rocket Stage Ahead of First Crewed Artemis Flight

NASA rolled out the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket's core stage for the Artemis II test flight from its manufacturing facility in New Orleans on Tuesday for shipment to the agency's spaceport in Florida. The rollout is key progress on the path to NASA's first crewed mission to the Moon under the Artemis campaign.

Above: Move teams with NASA and Boeing, the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage lead contractor, position the massive rocket stage for NASA’s SLS rocket on special transporters to strategically guide the flight hardware the 1.3-mile distance from the factory floor onto the agency’s Pegasus barge on July 16. (NASA)

Using highly specialized transporters, engineers maneuvered the giant core stage from inside NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the agency's Pegasus barge. The barge will ferry the stage more than 900 miles to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where engineers will prepare it in the Vehicle Assembly Building for attachment to other rocket and Orion spacecraft elements.

"With Artemis, we've set our sights on doing something big and incredibly complex that will inspire a new generation, advance our scientific endeavors, and move U.S. competitiveness forward," said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The SLS rocket is a key component of our efforts to develop a long-term presence at the Moon."

Technicians moved the SLS rocket stage from inside NASA Michoud on the 55th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969. The move of the rocket stage for Artemis marks the first time since the Apollo Program that a fully assembled Moon rocket stage for a crewed mission rolled out from NASA Michoud.

The SLS rocket's core stage is the largest NASA has ever produced. At 212 feet tall, it consists of five major elements, including two huge propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super-chilled liquid propellant to feed four RS-25 engines. During launch and flight, the stage will operate for just over eight minutes, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust to propel four astronauts inside NASA's Orion spacecraft toward the Moon.

"The delivery of the SLS core stage for Artemis II to Kennedy Space Center signals a shift from manufacturing to launch readiness as teams continue to make progress on hardware for all major elements for future SLS rockets," said John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "We are motivated by the success of Artemis I and focused on working toward the first crewed flight under Artemis."

After arrival at NASA Kennedy, the stage will undergo additional outfitting inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Engineers then will join it with the segments that form the rocket's twin solid rocket boosters. Adapters for the Moon rocket that connect it to the Orion spacecraft will be shipped to NASA Kennedy this fall, while the interim cryogenic propulsion stage is already in Florida. Engineers continue to prepare Orion, already at Kennedy, and exploration ground systems for launch and flight.

All major structures for every SLS core stage are fully manufactured at NASA Michoud. Inside the factory, core stages and future exploration upper stages for the next evolution of SLS, called the Block 1B configuration, currently are in various phases of production for Artemis III, IV, and V. Beginning with Artemis III, to better optimize space at Michoud, Boeing, the SLS core stage prime contractor, will use space at NASA Kennedy for final assembly and outfitting activities.

Building, assembling, and transporting the SLS core stage is a collaborative effort for NASA, Boeing, and lead RS-25 engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. All 10 NASA centers contribute to its development with more than 1,100 companies across the United States contributing to its production.

posted 07-24-2024 01:16 PM               

Artemis II Core Stage Transport to VAB

After completing its journey from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transported the agency's powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

Inside the VAB, the stage will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.

posted 11-21-2024 10:28 AM               

First Artemis II rocket booster segment stacked on mobile launcher

Engineers and technicians inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida stacked the first segment of the Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket boosters onto mobile launcher 1 (ML-1) on Wednesday (Nov. 20).

Comprising 10 segments total — five segments for each booster — the SLS solid rocket boosters arrived via train to NASA Kennedy in September 2023 from Northrop Grumman's manufacturing facility in Utah. The booster segments underwent processing in the spaceport's Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility before being transferred to the NASA's iconic VAB for stacking operations.

Technicians inside the 525-foot-tall facility used an overhead crane to lift the left aft assembly onto the mobile launcher. Up next, workers will install the right aft assembly, placing it carefully onto the 380-foot-tall structure used to process, assemble, and launch the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.