Tag EM-2

NASA and Lockheed Martin are collaborating to resolve issues that have arisen during ground testing of the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II circumlunar mission. The issues, including a circuit flaw and battery shock resistance, have caused a delay in the mission’s launch readiness target date, now set for September 2025. The Lockheed Martin team at Kennedy Space Center is working on reinstalling electronics and implementing fixes for the circuit flaw, while NASA and contractor teams are addressing the battery issue. These resolutions are crucial for

Boeing is working to accelerate the final assembly of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage to meet the year-end deadline for the Artemis II mission. After a cost-saving slowdown during the summer, Boeing has resumed two shifts a day at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The goal is to complete testing and checkout of the unit that will help send NASA astronauts back to the Moon. Testing is expected to be finished by the end of November, with additional thermal protection system (

NASA is making progress on the completion of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage for the Artemis II lunar flyby mission. Despite delays caused by supply chain issues and a weld tool problem, NASA aims to complete Core Stage-2 by the end of this year. Core Stage-2 is assigned to the Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts to the Moon. The completion and delivery of Core Stage-3 is planned for late 2024 or early 2025.

Germany has signed the Artemis Accords, a non-binding agreement with the United States and partner nations to support human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. This announcement came as the entire crew of the Artemis II mission visited the Airbus facility in Bremen, Germany, to observe the progress of the mission. During the media event, the crew answered questions from the media and shared their experiences visiting the engineers and facilities in Bremen. The crew also had the opportunity to tour the clean room

Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies, has begun installing its RS-25 liquid-propellant rocket engines into NASA’s second Space Launch System (SLS) core stage at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The installation process, which began on September 11, was delayed by several months due to core stage readiness issues. The engines were initially prepared for installation earlier this year but had to be stored again. The first engine to be installed was engine

NASA is making significant upgrades to its Mobile Launcher (ML) in preparation for the Artemis missions. Mobile Launcher-1 (ML-1) is currently undergoing testing and validation, while Mobile Launcher-2 (ML-2) is being constructed for future missions. The upgrades to ML-1 include modifications to the rainbird heads and the Ignition Overpressure Protection and Sound Suppression (IOP/SS) systems. The rainbird heads have been modified to enhance water flow and coverage on the

Artemis III SLS Launch: Final ICPS Arrives in Florida

The last-ever Space Launch System (SLS) Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) has been delivered by United Launch Alliance (ULA) from its Decatur, Alabama factory to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) for future use on the Artemis III lunar landing mission. ICPS-3 will be stored at ULA’s CCSFS facilities until NASA is ready to launch Artem

Lockheed Martin and NASA are making significant progress in the assembly and testing of the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission. The spacecraft is expected to be joined with the service module in September and the work is predicted to be finished by April 2023. Artemis II will be a lunar-flyby mission, serving as the first crewed test flight for both Orion and the Space Launch System (SLS). The four-person astronaut crew recently visited the Kennedy Space Center to view their spacecraft. Although