NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II test flight returned to the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell following completion of the second round of vacuum chamber testing on Dec. 5 inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.After returning to the FAST cell, the four main batteries – which supply power to many Orion systems – were installed in the crew module. The batteries returned to NASA Kennedy from their supplier, EaglePicher Technologies, earlier this month. Solar array wings will also be installed onto the spacecraft by international partner ESA (European Space Agency) and its contractor Airbus in early 2025.
Dec 14, 2024There's more to cover from last week's NASA press conference about Artemis II decisions and plans. The space agency decided to fly Orion's heatshield as-is and continue launch preparations while announcing that extra Orion processing work pushed the target date to April 2026.In this video, I'll explain how NASA plans to fly the existing heatshield on Artemis II, given the char loss/spalling issues seen with the same design on Artemis I. I'll also cover the extra processing work and what a new re-entry trajectory means for Artemis II launch windows.In the meantime, the SLS Core Stage for Artemis II was moved into a new processing cell in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, and I'll go over that process and what work is planned in parallel with the resumption of Solid Rocket Booster stacking in another cell in the VAB.There's also a little more to say about the devil in the details of moving Orion to another launch vehicle if the new administration terminates SLS.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.00:00 Intro00:37 Artemis II-related takeaways from last week's heatshield decision press conference06:11 Second round of Orion vacuum testing complete, modified batteries reinstalled07:37 The modified Orion re-entry trajectory plan for Artemis II15:27 SLS hardware activity picks up in the Vehicle Assembly Building18:15 EGS launch team continues countdown simulation training18:37 The Artemis II big picture19:45 More IRL considerations for Orion launch vehicle match-making from the last time NASA considered it.26:16 Thanks for watching!
After traveling 1.4 million miles around the Moon and then back to Earth during the Artemis I mission, the Orion spacecraft proved its capabilities in the harsh environment of space. But the spacecraft’s evaluation did not end at splashdown.Recently, engineers at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility subjected @NASA_Orion to the extreme conditions it may experience in a launch abort scenario — which is an emergency when Orion, and astronauts inside, would jettison away from the @NASA_SLS rocket for a safe landing in the ocean. The mission-critical testing is important to the safety and success of future @NASAArtemis missions.Learn what’s next, view more photos of Orion, and see key moments from the 11-month test campaign in Ohio: https://go.nasa.gov/3ZXUvY0In this video: On Nov. 23, 2024, after subjecting the Orion test article to launch abort-level acoustics, experts tested the functionality of the forward bay cover, which is the last piece that must eject before parachutes deploy.Credit: NASA/Jordan Salkin and Quentin Schwinn
Up next, the Orion test article will head to @NASAKennedy for additional testing.
Orion Spacecraft@NASA_OrionOrion is ready to receive its wings!At @NASAKennedy, technicians moved Orion out of its assembly stand to prepare for installation of the four solar array wings that will deliver power to the spacecraft on the Artemis II journey around the Moon. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3ERfkvU
This is the first of a couple of videos previewing the work that NASA Exploration Ground Systems will be doing at Kennedy Space Center with the Artemis II Orion spacecraft when they receive it in a couple of months. Late last week I interviewed Marcos Pena, who is NASA Operations Manager for EGS Spacecraft/Offline Operations, and he went through the details of his team's work plan.Mr. Pena's team will get the spacecraft ready for stacking on top of the SLS rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building; there's a lot of preparation that needs to be done -- loading storable propellants and other commodities onboard, stacking the Launch Abort System, and encapsulation.In this first part of the interview, Mr. Pena went through that work and also the stacking preps they'll be doing in March on the SLS in-space, second stage, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, but it can go to the VAB for stacking.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.00:00 Intro01:08 What EGS Spacecraft/Offline Operations does02:52 Multi-Payload Processing Facility overview, where Orion and ICPS are headed first06:30 Artemis II ICPS trip to MPPF planned for early March09:39 Orion handover to EGS, move to MPPF planned for late April11:08 EGS projecting five months of work before Orion is ready to stack on SLS16:30 Sequence of commodity loading onboard Orion in the MPPF21:28 Potable water for the crew will be serviced later in the flow, when Orion is in the VAB23:25 Critical path for the work in the MPPF25:25 Thanks for watching, more coming in Part 2!
Derek Newsome@DerekdotSpaceOrion has received her first of 4 Solar Panels! These panels provide a combined 11.1 kilowatts of power to the spacecraft during its trip to the Moon and back.
Solar array wing installation complete!The solar array wings that will power Orion and crew around the Moon on the Artemis II mission have been installed – next, the team will install the three protective fairings that enclose the service module. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3F6IuHN
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 completed on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Handing over the keys to Orion!Lockheed Martin completed assembly of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft and handed the vehicle over to NASA Orion, which in turn transferred it to @NASAGroundSys for processing.Next, Orion will roll via transporter to @NASAKennedy's MPPF for fueling.
This morning, the Artemis II Orion left the spacecraft factory in the Operations and Checkout building @NASAKennedy and is on its way to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility for fueling.
Teams transported @NASAOrion out of the Operations and Checkout building at @NASAKennedy using the Spacecraft Transporter (SCT). This approximately 16-by-16-foot spacecraft is where our @NASAArtemis II crew will live and work on their journey around the Moon.
After a short trip down the block, Exploration Ground Systems teams arrived at the Multi-Payload Processing Facility with the @NASAArtemis II @NASA_Orion spacecraft. Here, teams will continue readying the spacecraft ahead of stacking on @NASA_SLS in the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy.
The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission around the Moon has been on the move. Technicians relocated the spacecraft May 5 from the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it was assembled, to its fueling facility at the spaceport.“With the Artemis II on the horizon, seeing the Orion spacecraft depart the Operations and Checkout building for the Kennedy Space Center’s Multi-Payload Processing Facility reflects the many months of hard work, dedication, collaboration, and innovation of the entire team” said Howard Hu, NASA’s Orion program manager. “It demonstrates our ability to achieve ambitious goals to enable a safe and successful Artemis II mission. The Orion team was proud to turn over the first human-rated deep space exploration spacecraft in over 50 years to Exploration Ground Systems for fueling and stacking for our next mission to the Moon.”Inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, engineers and technicians from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program will load Orion’s propellants, high pressure gases, coolant, and other fluids the spacecraft and crew will need to maneuver and carry out their 10-day journey. Because of the hazardous nature of propellant loading, the spacecraft is fueled remotely from the spaceport’s Launch Control Center. After fueling is complete, the Artemis II crew will participate in an equipment interface test, in which they will don their Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits and enter the spacecraft to test all the equipment interfaces they will need to operate during the mission.Following servicing and final checkouts, the spacecraft will be transported to Kennedy’s Launch Abort System Facility to be integrated with its launch abort system, which is made up of abort, jettison, and attitude control motors and fairings. The system is designed to carry the crew to safety in the event of an emergency during launch or ascent atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Once completed, the spacecraft will be transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be stacked atop SLS.Orion’s relocation marks completion of a phase of assembly and testing work for Orion and the beginning of key steps toward launch and mission preparations. While in the operations and checkout facility, thousands of components in Orion’s systems were integrated into the spacecraft. The crew module, service module, and crew module adapter were connected, and vacuum and acoustics testing occurred to ensure the spacecraft will be able to endure the harsh environment of space.
Technicians with NASA’s Exploration and Ground Systems Program offload the agency’s Orion spacecraft from the KAMAG transporter to the servicing stand inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, May 4, 2025, to undergo fueling and processing operations for prelaunch operations
Hitting the road 🚙🗺️Last weekend, teams transported @NASA_Orion to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, where they will begin fueling the crew and service modules. After fueling, teams will install the launch abort system on Orion at the Launch Abort System Facility before heading to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be stacked atop @NASA_SLS.
Earlier this month, the @NASA_Orion spacecraft was transferred from the Operations and Checkout building to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, where it will be prepared for stacking on @NASA_SLS.Check out the journey of its assembly:
