The Next Big Orange Moon Rocket Continues to Take Shape in Florida...

NASA / Frank Michaux

NASA’s Artemis II Core Stage Integration Complete at Kennedy (News Release)

Another element of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis II is poised for flight. Technicians joined the core stage on March 23 with the stacked solid rocket boosters for the mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program and primary contractor Amentum used one of the five overhead cranes inside the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building to lift the rocket stage from the facility’s transfer aisle to High Bay 3, where it was secured between the booster segments atop the launch tower.

As the newest addition to the Mobile Launcher, the core stage is the largest component of the rocket, standing 212 feet tall. The stage is the backbone of the rocket, supporting the launch vehicle stage adapter, interim cryogenic propulsion stage, Orion stage adapter, and the Orion spacecraft for the agency’s crewed Artemis II mission. The adapter will be the next element integrated and will be lifted and secured atop the core stage in the coming weeks.

The Artemis II test flight will take a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, helping confirm the foundational systems and hardware needed for human deep space exploration. The mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign, and is another step towards missions on the lunar surface and helping the agency prepare for future human missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux

The Latest Update on the Next Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle to Launch to the Moon...

NASA / Glenn Benson

NASA’s Artemis II Orion Service Module Buttoned Up for Launch (News Release)

Technicians with NASA and Lockheed Martin fitted three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels onto the service module of the agency’s Orion’s spacecraft. The operation was completed on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The European-built service module is the powerhouse that will propel the spacecraft to the Moon. Its four solar array wings were installed to its exterior in early March. The latest addition of fairing panels on Orion’s service module will protect the solar array wings, shielding them from the heat, wind, and acoustics of launch and ascent, and also help redistribute the load between Orion and the massive thrust of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket during liftoff and ascent.

Once Orion is above the atmosphere, the three fairing panels will separate from the service module, allowing the wings to unfurl. In addition to power, the service module will provide propulsion and life support including thermal control, air and water for the Artemis II test flight, NASA’s first mission with crew under the Artemis campaign that will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day journey around the Moon.

Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Glenn Benson

Butch and Suni's Mission on Boeing's Crew Flight Test Is Finally Over...

NASA / Keegan Barber

Welcome Home! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Back on Earth After Science Mission (News Release)

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 completed the agency’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday, splashing down safely in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico.

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and reunite with their families.

Hague and Gorbunov lifted off at 1:17 p.m. on September 28, 2024, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The next day, they docked to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on June 5, 2024, from Space Launch Complex 41 as part of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test.

Butch and Suni arrived at the space station on June 6. In August, NASA announced the uncrewed return of Starliner to Earth and integrated Wilmore and Williams as part of the space station’s Expedition 71/72 for a return on Crew-9. The crew of four undocked at 1:05 a.m. on Tuesday to begin the trip home.

Wilmore and Williams traveled 121,347,491 miles during their mission, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 orbits around Earth. Hague and Gorbunov traveled 72,553,920 miles during their mission, spent 171 days in space, and completed 2,736 orbits around Earth.

The Crew-9 mission was the first spaceflight for Gorbunov. Hague has logged 374 days in space over his two missions, Williams has logged 608 days in space over her three flights, and Wilmore has logged 464 days in space over his three flights.

Throughout its mission, Crew-9 contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Williams conducted two spacewalks, joined by Wilmore for one and Hague for another, removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collecting samples from the station’s external surface for analysis, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on an X-ray telescope, and more. Williams now holds the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut, with 62 hours and 6 minutes outside of station, and is fourth on the all-time spacewalk duration list.

The American crew members conducted more than 150 unique scientific experiments and technology demonstrations between them, with over 900 hours of research. This research included investigations on plant growth and quality, as well as the potential of stem cell technology to address blood diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancers. They also tested lighting systems to help astronauts maintain circadian rhythms, loaded the first wooden satellite for deployment, and took samples from the space station’s exterior to study whether microorganisms can survive in space.

The Crew-9 mission was the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom. It also previously supported NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4, Axiom Mission 2 and Axiom Mission 3. The spacecraft will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX’s refurbishing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where teams will inspect the Dragon, analyze data on its performance, and begin processing for its next flight.

The Crew-9 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 launch, which docked to the station on March 16, beginning another long-duration science expedition.

The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station and low-Earth orbit. The program provides additional research time and has increased opportunities for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed for exploration, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Keegan Barber

The Next SLS Rocket Will Resume Pre-Launch Stacking Before the End of this Month...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

NASA Artemis II Core Stage Goes Horizontal Ahead of Final Integration (News Release - March 14)

Technicians used massive cranes inside NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to lift the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage out of High Bay 2 and into a horizontal position in the facility’s transfer aisle. The move, completed on March 14, prepares the stage for integration with other elements of the rocket later this month.

The operation entailed vertically hoisting the 212-foot tall core stage, which weighs about 219,000 pounds with its engines, out of a stand it had been in since December that allowed engineers 360-degree access to interior and exterior elements of the rocket to enable final assembly and inspection activities.

In the transfer aisle, technicians will conduct final checkouts of the core stage before it is integrated with the completed twin solid rocket booster segments. During integration operations, teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program will lift and secure the rocket stage atop the Mobile Launcher inside High Bay 3 in the VAB.

Next year, the Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – around the Moon. The mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step towards missions on the lunar surface and helping the agency prepare for future human flights to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett

Butch and Suni's Replacements Have Arrived at the ISS...

NASA TV

Dragon Crew Enters Station and Joins Expedition 72 Crew (News Release)

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov entered the International Space Station shortly after opening the hatches between the space station and SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft at 1:35 a.m. EDT.

McClain, Ayers, Onishi and Peskov were welcomed by the Expedition 72 crew, including NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Don Petitt, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA TV

Butch and Suni's Replacements Are Now En Route to the ISS...

SpaceX

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Launches to International Space Station (News Release)

Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT on Friday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Shortly after docking, the crew will join Expedition 72/73 for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

“Congratulations to our NASA and SpaceX teams on the 10th crew rotation mission under our commercial crew partnership. This milestone demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to advancing American leadership in space and driving growth in our national space economy,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. “Through these missions, we are laying the foundation for future exploration, from low-Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars. Our international crew will contribute to innovative science research and technology development, delivering benefits to all humanity.”

During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA’s live coverage resumes at 9:45 p.m., March 15, on NASA+ with rendezvous, docking and hatch opening. After docking, the crew will change out of their spacesuits and prepare cargo for offload before opening the hatch between Dragon and the space station’s Harmony module around 1:05 a.m. on Sunday, March 16. Once the new crew is aboard the orbital outpost, NASA will broadcast welcome remarks from Crew-10 and farewell remarks from the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts, beginning at about 1:40 a.m.

Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time as Crew-10 joins NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and Don Pettit, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. Following a brief handover period, Hague, Williams, Wilmore and Gorbunov will return to Earth no earlier than Wednesday, March 19. Ahead of Crew-9’s departure from station, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida.

During their mission, Crew-10 is scheduled to conduct material flammability tests to contribute to future spacecraft and facility designs. The crew will engage with students worldwide via the ISS Ham Radio program and use the program’s existing hardware to test a backup lunar navigation solution. The astronauts will also serve as test subjects, with one crew member conducting an integrated study to better understand physiological and psychological changes to the human body to provide valuable insights for future deep space missions.

With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 24 years, testing technologies, performing science and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low-Earth orbit and explore farther from our home planet. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign and beyond.

More about Crew-10

McClain is the commander of Crew-10 and is making her second trip to the orbital outpost since her selection as an astronaut in 2013. She will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73 aboard the space station.

Ayers is the pilot of Crew-10 and is flying her first mission. Selected as an astronaut in 2021, Ayers will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.

Onishi is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his second flight to the space station. He will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.

Peskov is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his first flight to the space station. Peskov will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.

Source: NASA.Gov

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SpaceX

The Artemis 2 Capsule and its Wings...

NASA / Kim L Shiflett

Orion SAW Install (Photo Release)

Technicians install four solar array wings on NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, March 3, 2025. Each solar array is nearly 23 feet long and can turn on two axes to remain aligned with the Sun for maximum power.

Orion’s solar arrays, manufactured and installed by ESA (European Space Agency) and its contractor Airbus, will deliver power to the service module that provides propulsion, thermal control and electrical power to the spacecraft, as well as air and water for the crew.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Kim L Shiflett


NASA / Kim L Shiflett


NASA / Kim L Shiflett

Two Major Components for the Next SLS Rocket Will Soon Undergo Stacking Operations at KSC...

United Launch Alliance

ICPS-2: ULA-built Upper Stage for Artemis II Delivered to NASA (News Release)

United Launch Alliance (ULA) delivered the flight-ready Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage-2 (ICPS-2) to the Kennedy Space Center on March 9 to fulfill our contribution to the Artemis II launch in NASA's lunar exploration program.

The ICPS-2 was manufactured by ULA in collaboration with Boeing to serve as the upper stage to the Space Launch System (SLS) mega rocket, which will launch an international crew of four astronauts around the Moon on the Artemis II mission.

ULA built the stage at the rocket factory in Decatur, Alabama, then shipped ICPS-2 to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for final testing and check out activities.

With that work now completed, ICPS-2 was moved from ULA's Delta Operations Center high bay to NASA's Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at Kennedy Space Center. Standing more than 45 feet tall and secured in its Vertical Transport Fixture, the ICPS rode aboard an Elevating Platform Transporter that provided hydraulic leveling and precision positioning capabilities along the route.

Technicians at the MPPF will load hydrazine in the ICPS-2's attitude control system to make in-flight maneuvers and prep the stage for its forthcoming transfer to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to undergo stacking operations.

The ICPS is based on the five-meter-diameter version of ULA's Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) that flew for two decades on the Delta IV rocket with 100 percent mission success. ICPS-1 performance for the Artemis I mission was nominal, delivering the push needed to send Orion out of Earth orbit to travel around the Moon in 2022.

ICPS features a slightly larger liquid hydrogen tank as compared to the Delta IV second stage, as well as electrical and mechanical interfaces specific to attaching and supporting the Orion spacecraft, and a second hydrazine bottle for additional attitude control propellant.

The ICPS for Artemis II also includes an Emergency Detection System (EDS) and other hardware changes specific to astronaut safety.

The stage feeds liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the RL10C-2 main engine to produce 24,750 pounds (110.1 kilo-Newtons) of highly-efficient thrust.

ICPS-2 also carries an approach target that the Artemis II astronauts will use to maneuver Orion in close proximity to the stage shortly after launch as part of a manual piloting evaluation test. Learn more about the test.

The ICPS-2 stage on Artemis II will provide the boost for the Orion capsule and its astronauts to reach a high-Earth orbit where the spacecraft will temporarily loiter to undergo testing before it departs on the lunar flyby trajectory.

The Artemis II crew includes Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen.

Source: United Launch Alliance

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United Launch Alliance


NASA


NASA

Starship Fails for the Second Straight Time...

Vic - @VictorOnX on X

FAA Statement on SpaceX Starship Flight 8 Mishap (News Release)

This information is preliminary and subject to change.

The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations on March 6.

During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location. Normal operations have resumed.

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Flights in the Caribbean turning away from Starship flight 8 debris. pic.twitter.com/Ly9NFnqJ6H

— Jack Sweeney (@Jxck_Sweeney) March 7, 2025

Watch as air traffic clears the debris zones pic.twitter.com/1lQayfAbFz

— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) March 7, 2025

A Quick Update on the Next Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle to Launch to the Moon...

NASA / Rad Sinyak

Artemis II Orion Solar Array Wing Installation (Photo Release - February 27)

Technicians begin working on the installation of the four solar array wings for NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 27, 2025.

Artemis II is Orion’s first crewed flight test around the Moon under the agency’s Artemis campaign.

Source: NASA.Gov