Quote from: mike robel on 05/07/2025 09:11 amThis has probably been discussed before, but since the launch is, I think months away, is it really necessary to fuel the hyperbolic fuels so early? Of course, I guess the alternative is to roll the thing to the pad, then send it back to the VAB for loading, and then roll back to the pad.It can't be done at VAB, too risky.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Payload_Processing_Facility
This has probably been discussed before, but since the launch is, I think months away, is it really necessary to fuel the hyperbolic fuels so early? Of course, I guess the alternative is to roll the thing to the pad, then send it back to the VAB for loading, and then roll back to the pad.
As I recall, I though[t] Apollo and the LM hypergolic fuels were loaded at the pad. But perhaps I have another memory lapse.
May 11, 2025While we wait for the rest of the Artemis budget shoes to drop, there was enough detail in the Fiscal Year 2026 White House budget request to see some possible implications for the rest of this decade and the beginning of the next. In this video, I go over where launch preparations are for Artemis II, now that Exploration Ground Systems is processing both SLS and now Orion.But all three of those programs could be short-timers, since they were all terminated in the budget request. We don't know whether Congress will accept this plan, but I'll also start to consider some big implications in the new Artemis plan for Artemis III and the new Artemis IV.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.Links to stories referenced:https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/01/heres-what-nasa-would-like-to-see-spacex-accomplish-with-starship-this-year/https://spacenews.com/nasa-budget-proposal-draws-strong-criticism/https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-delivers-completed-orion-to-nasa-for-artemis-2/Like the video? Consider buying me a coffee to support my work and the channel.https://buymeacoffee.com/philipslossOr, join the channel for additional members-only content: / @philipsloss 00:00 Intro01:05 Artemis II status06:11 Artemis II near-term outlook08:37 Artemis II flight crew training at KSC09:56 Budget implications for Artemis III, updated Artemis III Orion schedule13:07 Will Artemis III lunar landing race turn into Starship vs. China?15:45 When will "new Artemis IV" fly?16:46 Other news and notes19:33 Thanks for watching!
NASA to Fly Saudi Arabia CubeSat Aboard Artemis II Test FlightMay 13, 2025NASA and the Saudi Space Agency have signed an agreement for a CubeSat to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight. President Donald J. Trump, alongside His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, announced the agreement Tuesday in Riyadh as part of an ongoing trip to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Space Agency’s CubeSat will measure aspects of space weather at a range of distances from Earth and deploy in high Earth orbit from a spacecraft adapter on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket after Orion is safely flying on its own with its crew of four astronauts.NASA is working with several international space agencies to fly CubeSats aboard Artemis II, which provides an opportunity for the countries to access the high Earth orbit environment and fly payloads as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign. NASA also has agreements with German space agency DLR and the Korea AeroSpace Agency for CubeSats to hitch a ride to space during Artemis II.[...]
May 24, 2025There's more context to report on NASA's Artemis plans and prep this week than news, given public schedules rearranging themselves around the long Memorial Day weekend (or something like that). Behind the scenes, Exploration Ground Systems is still packing in the hours to get the Artemis II Orion and SLS ready for the launch, and in this video I go over the coming test and checkout of the mated SLS rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. With the Mobile Launcher umbilicals mated, initial power up of Core Stage and Booster avionics was planned during this past week.I'll also add some context to the Blue Origin lunar landing plans discussed this past week in Washington, where progress was noted with Mark 1 lunar lander assembly and zero-boiloff cryocooler test articles.And there's other news and notes on Mobile Launcher-2 construction (corrections needed there), a launch date for the next Starship flight test (right after Memorial Day), Jared Isaacman's confirmation schedule (when the Senate comes back after Memorial Day), and cubesats that will ride along on Artemis II.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.Space Coast Live (http://nsf.live/spacecoast) courtesy of NSF/NASASpaceflight, used with permission. Links to social media posts:https://x.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1925628326095257635https://bsky.app/profile/jfoust.bsky.social/post/3lprtb3ua722ohttps://bsky.app/profile/spacepolicyonline.bsky.social/post/3lppkr3cqsi2sLinks to stories referenced:https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-updates-work-on-transporter-for-blue-moon-lunar-lander/Other links:https://www.senate.gov/legislative/floor_activity_pail.htmhttps://spacepolicyonline.com/events/2025-lsic-spring-meeting-may-20-22-2025-laurel-md/https://lsic.jhuapl.edu/Events/Agenda/index.php?id=611 •[url+https://youtube.com/watch?v=X51o0kEJrLo] LSIC Spring Meeting 2025 Day 1 [/url] https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-9https://www.spacex.com/updates/#flight-8-reportJoin the channel for additional members-only content: / @philipsloss Or, consider buying me a coffee to support my work and the channel.https://buymeacoffee.com/philipsloss00:00 Intro00:45 Artemis II update03:10 Artemis II SLS initial power-up status04:40 SLS avionics08:02 SLS power-up and interface verification campaign with EGS09:34 Blue Origin provides an HLS update13:43 Other news and notes, beginning with corrections about recent Mobile Launcher-2 milestones14:34 SpaceX previews Starship flight test 9, launch scheduled after Memorial Day15:43 Jared Isaacman nomination to be NASA Administrator advances in the Senate18:00 NASA signs agreement for the fourth and final cubesat to ride on Artemis II19:54 Thanks for watching!
May 31, 2025The White House released the full Fiscal Year 2026 budget request late on Friday, May 30th, so we can now start going through the details of the proposal. With respect to retiring most of the Artemis programs, they want to do that by the end of 2027. Mid-2027 remains the increasingly optimistic date for Artemis III, but the Starship flight test on Tuesday, May 27th highlighted continuing delays from all the Artemis programs involved.Now that we know that Artemis IV will use the new commercial transportation program, is the end of 2027 the deadline for the Exploration Ground Systems, Gateway, Orion, and SLS retirements, whether Artemis III uses them or not?Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.Links to social media posts:https://bsky.app/profile/caseydreier.bsky.social/post/3lqhoctusjk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/nasawatch.bsky.social/post/3lqgefvnjbs2rhttps://www.facebook.com/NASAGroundSystems/posts/pfbid0afGDDwD2DDZRtTo7RArE9pDGAcNv3A49ApyBbZZEqiL3E9WfyHVZ8S2AWusjg8HAlLinks to stories referenced:https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/04/trump-white-house-budget-proposal-eviscerates-science-funding-at-nasa/https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-delivers-completed-orion-to-nasa-for-artemis-2/Join the channel for additional members-only content: / @philipsloss Or, consider buying me a coffee to support my work and the channel.https://buymeacoffee.com/philipsloss00:00 Intro01:05 Another premature ending to the latest Starship flight test08:50 The full Fiscal Year 2026 budget was published, the devil is in the details15:53 Other news and notes, beginning with an Artemis II update17:50 The Artemis III Orion crew module was powered up for the first time recently21:26 Thanks for watching!
Jun 8, 2025While President Trump and Elon Musk fight out their feelings, the rest of the White House and Congress will fight about the budget for NASA and Artemis. Right after Trump released the NASA budget request that vibes with Musk's vision for the space agency's future, he fired Musk's vision for the space agency's administrator.In this video, I'll try to walk through takeaways from that without getting any of the flame war on my shoes...there's the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request when Trump and Musk were buddies last week and the aftermath of Jared Isaacman being let go as NASA Administrator before he could even start. Also a key group of Senators went on the record in favor of keeping Artemis as it is.That might not be as entertaining, but it is important; there's that, there's an Artemis II launch preparations update, and I got some notes on SLS production.Your entertainment mileage may vary.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.All-In interview w/Jared Isaacman: • Jared Isaacman: What went wrong at NASA | ... Links to social media posts:https://x.com/atrupar/status/1930657079343124601https://x.com/NASAGroundSys/status/1929917469466194334Links to stories referenced:https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/senate-committee-wants-to-keep-gateway-sls-and-orion/Join the channel for additional members-only content: / @philipsloss Or, consider buying me a coffee to support my work and the channel.https://buymeacoffee.com/philipsloss
NASA@NASAThis just in: NASA and @DLR_en will partner to fly new radiation sensors aboard the 10-day Artemis II mission to the Moon and back. The test flight will be the first with crew under @NASAArtemis.This collaboration supports our research to safeguard the health of astronauts as they explore the lunar surface and prepare for future human exploration of Mars. https://go.nasa.gov/3Tu218Ihttps://twitter.com/NASA/status/1934997120865489327
"M-42 EXT is a significantly upgraded version of the M-42 detector used on Artemis I."https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2025/dlr-and-nasa-continue-joint-space-radiation-research-with-dlr-radiation-detector(Editing to leverage the above on-topic content for some ... humor. Is it totally clear based on appearances which of the two signers represents NASA and which the DLR?)
Jun 27, 2025“No constraints and go for launch.” What every launch team strives for.The Artemis II astronauts recently joined the Artemis launch team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to practice a variety of launch-day scenarios on May 8, 2025.This was the launch team’s 17th terminal count simulation. The terminal count simulation begins when the crew enters the Orion spacecraft and continues all the way to terminal count — the last ten minutes of the launch countdown. The launch team has also performed 17 cryogenic loading simulations, which involves loading the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with liquid propellants and ends when the rocket is fully loaded.Credit: NASA/Cory Huston
