South Korea's CubeSat Is Now Attached to the Orion Stage Adapter for the Next SLS Flight...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis II Secondary Payloads Blog and Photos (Photo Release)

Technicians install the Korea AeroSpace Administration's (KASA) K-Rad Cube within the Orion stage adapter inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida - on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

The K-Rad Cube, about the size of a shoebox, is one of the CubeSats slated to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight in 2026.

Deploying in high-Earth orbit from a spacecraft adapter on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket after Orion is safely flying on its own with its crew of four astronauts, K-Rad Cube will use a dosimeter made of material designed to mimic human tissue to measure space radiation and assess biological effects at various altitudes across the Van Allen radiation belts, a critical area of research for human presence at the Moon and Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux

A South Korean CubeSat Will Also Be Ready to Fly on the Next SLS Rocket...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis II Payload Integration (Photo Release - August 27)

Inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, technicians with the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) completed closeouts on the K-Rad Cube, one of several international CubeSats slated to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight in 2026.

Deploying in high-Earth orbit from a spacecraft adapter on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket after Orion is safely flying on its own with its crew of four astronauts, K-Rad Cube will use a dosimeter made of material designed to mimic human tissue to measure space radiation and assess biological effects at various altitudes across the Van Allen radiation belts, a critical area of research for human presence at the Moon and Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux


NASA / Frank Michaux

A Saudi Arabian CubeSat Will Soon Be Ready to Fly on the Next SLS Rocket...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis II Payload Integration (Photo Release - August 26)

Inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, a technician inspects the Saudi Space Agency’s Space Weather CubeSat, one of several international CubeSats slated to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight in 2026.

Deploying in high-Earth orbit from a spacecraft adapter on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket after Orion is safely flying on its own with its crew of four astronauts, the CubeSat will measure aspects of space weather – space radiation, solar X-rays, solar energetic particles, and magnetic fields – at a range of distances from Earth.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux

Orion Moves One Step Closer to its First Crewed Flight to the Moon...

NASA / Cory Huston

Artemis II Launch Abort Sytem Stacked in the LASF (Photo Release - August 27)

The launch abort tower on NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft is pictured inside the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, after teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program installed the tower on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

Positioned at the top of Orion, the 44-foot-tall launch abort system is designed to carry the crew to safety in the event of an emergency during launch or ascent, with its three solid rocket motors working together to propel Orion – and astronauts inside – away from the rocket for a safe landing in the ocean, or detach from the spacecraft when it is no longer needed.

The final step to complete integration will be the installation of the ogive fairings, which are four protective panels that will shield the crew module from the severe vibrations and sounds it will experience during launch.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Cory Huston


NASA / Cory Huston

The Latest Update on Orion's First Crewed Lunar Flight...

NASA

NASA Seeks Volunteers to Track Artemis II Mission (News Release)

NASA seeks volunteers to passively track the Artemis II Orion spacecraft as the crewed mission travels to the Moon and back to Earth.

The Artemis II test flight, a launch of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.

The mission, targeted for no later than April 2026, will rely on NASA’s Near Space Network and Deep Space Network for primary communications and tracking support throughout its launch, orbit and reentry. However, with a growing focus on commercialization, NASA wants to further understand industry’s tracking capabilities.

This collaboration opportunity builds upon a previous request released by NASA’s SCaN (Space Communication and Navigation) Program during the Artemis I mission, where ten volunteers successfully tracked the uncrewed Orion spacecraft in 2022 on its journey thousands of miles beyond the Moon and back.

During the Artemis I mission, participants – ranging from international space agencies, academic institutions, commercial companies, nonprofits and private citizens – attempted to receive Orion’s signal and use their respective ground antennas to track and measure changes in the radio waves transmitted by Orion.

“By offering this opportunity to the broader aerospace community, we can identify available tracking capabilities outside the government,” said Kevin Coggins, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for SCaN at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This data will help inform our transition to a commercial-first approach, ultimately strengthening the infrastructure needed to support Artemis missions and our long-term Moon to Mars objectives.”

Read the opportunity announcement here
Responses are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, October 27.

NASA’s SCaN Program serves as the management office for the agency’s space communications and navigation systems. More than 100 NASA and non-NASA missions rely on SCaN’s two networks, the Near Space Network and Deep Space Network, to support astronauts aboard the International Space Station and future Artemis missions, monitor Earth’s weather, support lunar exploration, and uncover the Solar System and beyond.

Artemis II will help confirm the systems and hardware needed for human deep space exploration. This mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step towards new U.S.-crewed missions on the Moon’s surface that will help the agency prepare to send American astronauts to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Last Component for the Second SLS Rocket Is Now in Florida!

NASA / Kim Shiflett

NASA Delivers Artemis II Hardware to Kennedy (News Release)

A significant piece of hardware for NASA’s Artemis II mission arrived on August 19 to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete final stacking operations. A semitrailer transported NASA’s Orion stage adapter nearly 700 miles from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

NASA Marshall built and tested the Orion stage adapter which connects to the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the Orion spacecraft. A diaphragm within the adapter protects Orion from flammable gases, such as hydrogen, generated during launch.

The Orion stage adapter is 5 feet tall (1.5 meters) with a diameter 18 feet wide (5.4 meters). The adapter can hold CubeSats, a miniature satellite about the size of a shoebox, to conduct science experiments and technology demonstrations. Artemis II will launch four CubeSats from NASA partners around the Earth while Orion is flying on its own towards the Moon.

The Orion stage adapter will remain at NASA Kennedy’s Multi-Payload Processing Facility to undergo CubeSat integration and then move to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be stacked on the SLS rocket.

The Artemis II test flight will take commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from CSA (Canadian Space Agency) around the Moon and return them safely back home. The mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis program 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 / Kim Shiflett

America's Next Group of Space Explorers, Plus Orion's First Crewed Lunar Flight, Will Be Previewed Next Month...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

NASA to Announce New Astronaut Class, Preview Artemis II Moon Mission (News Release)

NASA is opening media accreditation for multi-day events to introduce America’s newest astronaut class and provide briefings for the Artemis II crewed test flight around the Moon. The activities will take place in September at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

After evaluating more than 8,000 applications, NASA will debut its 2025 class of astronaut candidates during a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, September 22. Following the ceremony, the candidates will be available for media interviews.

The astronaut selection event will stream live on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, NASA’s YouTube channel and the agency’s X account.

The selected candidates will undergo nearly two years of training before they graduate as flight-eligible astronauts for agency missions to low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and ultimately, Mars.

Next, NASA will host a series of media briefings on Tuesday, September 23, and Wednesday, September 24, to preview the upcoming Artemis II mission, slated for no later than April 2026. The test flight, a launch of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.

Artemis II will help confirm the systems and hardware needed for human deep space exploration. This mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step towards new U.S.-crewed missions on the Moon’s surface that will help the agency prepare to send American astronauts to Mars.

The Artemis II events briefings will stream live on the agency’s YouTube channel and X account. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms.

Following the briefings, NASA will host an Artemis II media day at NASA Johnson on September 24, to showcase mission support facilities, trainers, and hardware for Artemis missions, as well as offer interview opportunities with leaders, flight directors, astronauts, scientists and engineers.

Media who wish to participate in person must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov and indicate which events that they plan to attend. Confirmed media will receive additional details about participating in these events. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is available on the agency’s website.

Media accreditation deadlines for the astronaut candidate selection and Artemis II events are as follows:

-- U.S. media interested in attending in person must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17.
-- International media without U.S. citizenship must RSVP no later than 5 p.m., on Wednesday, September 10.

Media requesting in-person or virtual interviews with the astronaut candidates, Artemis experts, or the Artemis II crew must submit requests to the NASA Johnson newsroom by Wednesday, September 17. In-person interview requests are subject to the credentialing deadlines noted above.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Last Component for the Second SLS Rocket Is Now Bound for KSC...

NASA / Brandon Hancock

Final Piece of Rocket Hardware for Artemis II Heads to Florida (Photo Release)

These images show the Orion stage adapter for Artemis II leaving NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as it begins its journey to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Manufactured at Marshall, this adapter for the SLS (Space Launch System) connects the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the Orion spacecraft and is the final piece of SLS hardware to be delivered to Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the Artemis II mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Brandon Hancock


NASA / Brandon Hancock


NASA / Brandon Hancock

The First Astronauts to Fly on Orion Continue Training for Next Year's Lunar Flight...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Artemis II Crew Train for Night Launch Scenarios at Kennedy Space Center (News Release)

Before NASA’s Artemis II test flight launches a crew of four astronauts around the Moon and back, astronauts and teams on the ground at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, are training for different scenarios that could take place on launch day.

On August 11 and 12, teams with the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program along with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, practiced launch day operations if launch occurs at night. They simulated putting their spacesuits on and driving to the launch pad, as well as emergency procedures that they would use in the unlikely event of an emergency during the launch countdown requiring them to evacuate the launch pad.

During the first nighttime scenario, the crew traversed the nine-mile journey from crew quarters to Launch Complex 39B. Once the crew arrived, teams declared a “scrub” and the astronauts headed back to crew quarters like they would in the event of their launch being postponed. The test ensures that both the crew and ground teams at Kennedy are prepared and understand the timeline of their events for launch day.

Practicing the scenario also complements a September 2023 daylight version of the test.

On August 12, teams completed an emergency egress system demonstration inside Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The astronauts suited up and departed their crew quarters and headed to the VAB, where their Moon rocket is being assembled on the Mobile Launcher. Once inside, the crew went up the Mobile Launcher to the White Room in the crew access arm – the area where the crew enters and exits their Orion spacecraft.

From there, teams went through different emergency scenarios with the astronauts, including practicing using emergency egress baskets while on the ground in the VAB.

During a real emergency, personnel will use the baskets, which are suspended on a track cable that connects the Mobile Launcher to the perimeter of the pad.

The team then headed to the terminus area at Launch Complex 39B, the location at the perimeter of the launch pad where the baskets will come to a stop in the event of an emergency. Once there, armored emergency response vehicles drove the team away to a designated safe site location at Kennedy.

Teams will have another opportunity to practice different launch day scenarios with the Artemis II crew during a countdown demonstration test scheduled for later this year. 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 / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett

The Last Piece of Flight Hardware for the Next SLS Rocket Will Soon Head to KSC...

NASA

NASA Invites Media to View Artemis II Orion Stage Adapter at Marshall (News Release - August 11)

Media are invited to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, at 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, August 14 to view the final piece of space flight hardware for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the Artemis II mission before it is delivered to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All other elements of the SLS rocket for Artemis II are stacked on Mobile Launcher 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy. Artemis II, NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, is currently scheduled for a 10-day trip around the Moon no later than April 2026.

The Orion stage adapter, built by NASA Marshall, connects the SLS rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage to NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The small ring structure is the topmost portion of the SLS rocket. The adapter will also carry small payloads, called CubeSats, to deep space.

Media will have the opportunity to capture images and video and speak to subject matter experts. Along with viewing the adapter for Artemis II, media will be able to see the Orion stage adapter for the Artemis III mission, the first lunar landing at the Moon’s South Pole.

This event is open to U.S. media, who must confirm their attendance by 12 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, August 13, with Jonathan Deal in Marshall’s Office of Communications at jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov. Media must also report by 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 14 to the Redstone Arsenal Joint Visitor Control Center Gate 9 parking lot, located at the Interstate 565 interchange at Research Park Boulevard, to be escorted to the event.

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

Source: NASA.Gov

The Latest Update on the First Crewed Capsule to Fly to the Moon Since 1972...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

NASA’s Artemis II Orion Spacecraft Moves Closer to Launch (News Release)

NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft completed a short but important journey on August 10, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With spacecraft fueling complete, technicians moved Orion to the next facility on its path to the launch pad.

Teams transported Orion from Kennedy’s Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) where it has been loaded with propellants for flight, to the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF). There, engineers with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program will integrate the escape system atop the crew module.

Orion arrived at the MPPF in May, where technicians fueled and processed Orion, loading propellants, high pressure gases, coolant and other fluids necessary for the spacecraft and crew to carry out their 10-day journey around the Moon and back. The Artemis II crew also took part in multiple days of tests inside Orion in the MPPF, donning their Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits and entering their spacecraft to test all of the equipment interfaces that they will operate during the mission.

Now inside the LASF, Orion will be integrated with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system, made up of two segments: the launch abort tower, including the abort, jettison and attitude control motors; and the fairing assembly, including the ogive panels that protect the crew module and provide aerodynamic support during launch. The system is designed to carry the crew to safety in the event of an emergency atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Once integration is completed, the entire Orion stack will be transported to High Bay 3 in NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building where it will be connected to its Moon rocket.

The Artemis II test flight will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and safely return them back home. The mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign. Artemis will return Americans to the lunar surface and help the agency and its commercial and international partners prepare for future human missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett

Four Astronauts Continue to Train for the First Crewed Lunar Flight Since 1972...

NASA / Rad Sinyak

NASA’s Artemis Crew Trains in Moonbound Orion Ahead of Mission (News Release)

The first crew slated to fly in NASA’s Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission around the Moon early next year entered their spacecraft for a multi-day training at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Crew donned their spacesuits on July 31, and boarded Orion to train and experience some of the conditions that they can expect on their mission.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen participated in a suited crew test and crew equipment interface test, performing launch day and simulated orbital activities inside Orion.

“Every milestone in the Artemis campaign brings us closer to landing Americans back on the Moon and pushing onward to Mars. In about six months, Artemis II astronauts will journey around the Moon for the first time in 53 years,” Sean Duffy, acting NASA Administrator, said. “America rallied behind Apollo because it represented the best of us – now it’s Artemis’ turn. They’re not just carrying a flag – they’re carrying the pride, power and promise of the United States of America.”

With Orion powered on, the suited crew test was a close representation of what the crew can expect on launch day. The crew began the day by suiting up inside the spaceport’s Multi-Operation Support Building, donning their Orion crew survival system spacesuits, boarding the zero-emission crew transportation vehicles, and entering Orion, which is currently inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, where engineers have loaded its propellants over the course of several weeks.

Once in Orion, the crew performed several launch day activities, including communications checkouts and suit leak checks. For the first time, the crew was connected to the spacecraft and its communications and life control systems, and all umbilicals were connected while the spacecraft operated on full power.

Teams simulated several different ground and flight conditions to give the crew more experience managing them in real time. Some of the activities simulated scenarios where the crew was challenged to address potential issues while in space such as leaks and failure of the air revitalization system fan, which is needed to provide oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the cabin. Getting this hands-on experience and learning how to act fast to overcome potential challenges during flight helps ensure that the crew is ready for any scenario.

The test provides astronauts with the ability to train on the actual hardware that they will use during flight, allowing them and support teams the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the equipment in configurations very close to what will be experienced during flight. It also allows teams to verify compatibility between the equipment and systems with flight controller procedures, so that they can make any final adjustments ahead of launch.

“This test brings together the Artemis II crew and the Orion spacecraft that will carry them to the Moon and back. It signifies the immense amount of work that our operations and development teams put into making sure we are ready for launch,” Shawn Quinn, NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program manager, said. “They have meticulously planned each operation, timing them to perfection – and now we put it to the test.”

Exchanging their spacesuits for cleanroom garments for the crew equipment interface test, and with the spacecraft powered off, the crew also performed many of the activities that they are likely to do in flight and conducted additional equipment checks. The crew practiced removing and stowing the foot pans on the pilot and commander seats, which will allow them to have more open space in the cabin after launch. They also accessed the stowage lockers and familiarized themselves with cameras, associated cables and mounts, and the environmental control and life support system hardware.

In addition to getting practical experience with the actual hardware that they’ll use in space, they also prepared for life in deep space, reviewing cabin labels, sleep arrangements and checklists, and the hygiene bay.

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

Photos of the Day: The Launch Tower for the SLS Block 1B Rocket Continues to Take Shape at KSC...

Greg Scott - @GregScott_photo on X

Just thought I'd share these great images of Mobile Launcher (ML)-2, taken by avid space photographer Greg Scott, as it continues to take shape near the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The final tower module was installed on ML-2 earlier this month...completing the main structure of the launch platform prior to piping, electrical, hydraulics and the umbilical arms themselves beginning integration on the 390-foot-tall launcher.

When completed, ML-2 will begin operations supporting the first flight of the Space Launch System's (SLS) Block 1B variant—currently scheduled to embark on NASA's Artemis 4 mission to the Moon in late 2028. That flight will see the first use of the Exploration Upper Stage on SLS, and send the Orion capsule and first astronaut crew to the Gateway lunar space station.


Greg Scott - @GregScott_photo on X


NASA

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA

Engine Section 3 Artemis (Photo Release - July 24)

Teams from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida transport the agency’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) core stage boat-tail from the spaceport's Space Systems Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Thursday, July 24.

Used during the assembly of the SLS core stage, the boat-tail is a fairing-like structure that protects the bottom end of the core stage.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA


NASA


NASA

The Latest Update on the Next SLS Flight...

NASA

NASA Tests New Liquid Hydrogen Tank for Crewed Artemis Missions (News Release)

As teams get ready for the first crewed Artemis mission, which will take a crew of four around the Moon and back in 10 days, engineers with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program tested the new liquid hydrogen sphere, which holds one of the cryogenic propellants used to power the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

To minimize time between launch attempts since SLS holds approximately 600,000 gallons of chilled liquid hydrogen, the team built an additional liquid hydrogen storage sphere at the launch pad. To ensure that the tank functions properly and can safely flow the -423° Fahrenheit super-cool liquid gas to the Mobile Launcher and SLS during launch countdown, the Artemis launch team successfully practiced flowing liquid hydrogen from both tanks to ensure there were no issues.

Once SLS and the Orion spacecraft are stacked, teams will roll the vehicle to the pad for a wet dress rehearsal, which will allow another opportunity to test the new hydrogen sphere prior to launch. This marks the completion of the final ground system verification and validation test for Artemis II. In the meantime, integrated testing with SLS and Orion continue inside Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building prior to rolling out to the pad for launch.

Source: NASA.Gov

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CB&I

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Rocket...

NASA / Eric Bordelon

Artemis III Liquid Oxygen Tank Moves to Vertical Configuration at Michoud (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift a liquid oxygen tank from a horizontal to a vertical position and place it into a production cell on July 12. The process, called a breakover, will allow technicians to rappel into the empty tank and install its aft sump subassembly, securing it from the inside. This tank will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis III mission.

The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Eric Bordelon


NASA / Eric Bordelon


NASA / Eric Bordelon

The Latest Update on the Planned Artemis 5 Mission...

NASA

NASA Tests New RS-25 Engine (News Release)

NASA tested RS-25 engine No. 20001 on June 20, at the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Test teams fired the engine for almost eight-and-a-half minutes (500 seconds), the same amount of time that RS-25 engines fire during a launch of an SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Artemis missions to the Moon. The Artemis campaign will 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.

Four RS-25 engines, built by contractor L3Harris Technologies (formerly Aerojet Rocketdyne), help power each SLS launch, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust. During the test, operators also fired engine No. 20001 up to the 111% power level, the same amount of thrust needed to launch an SLS rocket, carrying the Orion spacecraft, to orbit. The full-duration “hot fire” was the first test since NASA completed certification testing for new production RS-25 engines in 2024.

All RS-25 engines are tested and proven flightworthy at NASA Stennis. The test was conducted by a team of operators from NASA, L3Harris and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations.

Source: NASA.Gov

Training Continues for Orion's Next Flight to the Moon...

NASA / Isaac Watson

NASA, DoD Practice Abort Scenarios Ahead of Artemis II Moon Mission (News Release)

NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) teamed up on June 11 and 12 to simulate emergency procedures that they would use to rescue the Artemis II crew in the event of a launch emergency. The simulations, which took place off the coast of Florida and were supported by launch and flight control teams, are preparing NASA to send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year as part of the agency’s first crewed Artemis mission.

The team rehearsed procedures that they would use to rescue the crew during an abort of NASA’s Orion spacecraft while the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is still on the launch pad, as well as during ascent to space. A set of test mannequins and a representative version of Orion called the Crew Module Test Article, were used during the tests.

The launch team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flight controllers in Mission Control at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, as well as the mission management team, all worked together, exercising their integrated procedures for these emergency scenarios.

“Part of preparing to send humans to the Moon is ensuring our teams are ready for any scenario on launch day,” said Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA’s assistant deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program, and who is also chair of the mission management team for Artemis II. “We’re getting closer to our bold mission to send four astronauts around the Moon, and our integrated testing helps ensure we’re ready to bring them home in any scenario.”

The launch pad abort scenario was up first. The teams conducted a normal launch countdown before declaring an abort before the rocket was scheduled to launch. During a real pad emergency, Orion’s launch abort system would propel Orion and its crew a safe distance away and orient it for splashdown before the capsule’s parachutes would then deploy ahead of a safe splashdown off the coast of Florida.

For the simulated splashdown, the Orion test article with mannequins aboard was placed in the water five miles east of Kennedy. Once the launch team made the simulated pad abort call, two Navy helicopters carrying U.S. Air Force pararescuers departed nearby Patrick Space Force Base. The rescuers jumped into the water with unique DoD and NASA rescue equipment to safely approach the spacecraft, retrieve the mannequin crew, and transport them for medical care in the helicopters, just as they would do in the event of an actual pad abort during the Artemis II mission.

The next day focused on an abort scenario during ascent to space.

The Artemis recovery team set up another simulation at sea 12 miles east of Kennedy, using the Orion crew module test article and mannequins. With launch and flight control teams supporting, as was the Artemis II crew inside a simulator at Johnson, the rescue team sprung into action after receiving the simulated ascent abort call and began rescue procedures using a C-17 aircraft and U.S. Air Force pararescuers. Upon reaching the capsule, the rescuers jumped from the C-17 with DoD and NASA-unique rescue gear.

In an actual ascent abort, Orion would separate from the rocket in milliseconds to safely get away prior to deploying parachutes and splashing down.

Rescue procedures are similar to those used in the Underway Recovery Test conducted off the California coast in March. This demonstration ended with opening the hatch and extracting the mannequins from the capsule, so teams stopped without completing the helicopter transportation that would be used during a real rescue.

Exercising procedures for extreme scenarios is part of NASA’s work to execute its mission and keep the crew safe. 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 / Isaac Watson


NASA / Isaac Watson


NASA / Isaac Watson