NASA Advances Artemis II Moon Mission Preparations

Technicians with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team have successfully lifted and secured NASA's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a significant milestone for the Artemis II mission.

Scheduled to launch in 2026, this mission will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a ten-day journey around the Moon and back.

Following the stacking of the Orion spacecraft, teams have conducted essential testing of the communications systems between the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft, confirming that the interfaces function correctly between the rocket, Orion, and the ground systems, including successful end-to-end testing with the Near Space Network and the Deep Space Network, which are crucial for communication and navigation during the mission.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy emphasized the agency's focus on preparing to safely fly the four astronauts and stated that this mission will lay the groundwork for future lunar and Martian exploration.

In the upcoming weeks, the Artemis II crew and engineers will conduct the first part of a Countdown Demonstration Test at Kennedy, simulating the final moments of the countdown. The crew, wearing their Orion crew survival system spacesuits, will board Orion in the Vehicle Assembly Building, even though the rocket and spacecraft are not yet at the launch pad.

This test will validate the timeline for the crew and supporting teams on the ground. A second part of this test, which focuses on emergency procedures at the launch pad, will occur after the rocket and spacecraft roll out to Launch Pad 39B.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are preparing for a busy schedule of integrated simulations to prepare for various mission scenarios as they review procedures across all flight phases.

This extensive preparation aims to ensure their familiarity with every element of the spacecraft and to make their responses second nature. Through the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon for scientific discovery and economic benefits while establishing a sustainable presence that will serve as a foundation for future crewed missions to Mars.

This ongoing effort underlines NASA's commitment to returning humans to the lunar surface and advancing space exploration.