#unboxing Thursday… At the HIF, ICPS-2 is removed from its protective shipping container before moving to the Delta Operations Center (DOC) for processing. #ToryTimelapse
Artemis II is currently scheduled to launch in late 2023, though NASA is likely to face schedule delays due to the reuse and installation of Orion components following Artemis Iand a tight delivery schedule of the Orion service module. This avionics reuse, which is driven entirely by when the Orion capsule returns from its first mission, is considered the primary critical path for Artemis II. [...] [However], NASA has attempted to mitigate Artemis II’s schedule risk by initiating the purchase of an additional set of avionics should the Artemis I launch schedule continue to slip, thereby decoupling the Artemis II launch schedule from Artemis I.
Quote from: jketch on 11/09/2021 07:17 pmArtemis 2 mission delayed to May 2024 and Artemis 3 to 2025. The latter is blamed on the protests and lawsuits, but the manner in which both 2 and 3 could have gone in 2024 is left unstated ...[...]Artemis II is NET Nov '23 and NLT May '24, which is quite different to NET May 2024![...]
Artemis 2 mission delayed to May 2024 and Artemis 3 to 2025. The latter is blamed on the protests and lawsuits, but the manner in which both 2 and 3 could have gone in 2024 is left unstated ...
#NASA #NAC #HEO - These are the milestones remaining for Artemis 2, looking forward to the deliveries of the ICPS, we have upgrades on the pad we need to do, then at that point that will complete the hardware end of it. Won't have to do some of the Mods we did in Artemis 1
*yeet tweet*Quote#NASA #NAC #HEO - These are the milestones remaining for Artemis 2, looking forward to the deliveries of the ICPS, we have upgrades on the pad we need to do, then at that point that will complete the hardware end of it. Won't have to do some of the Mods we did in Artemis 1
Wasnt there a photo of the ICPS for A2 already delivered? Is it still incomplete?
Engineers Power Up Crew Module for First Artemis Mission with AstronautsThe Orion crew module for Artemis II was powered on for the first time May 27 inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This capsule will carry astronauts on a trip around the Moon during the first crewed Artemis mission and helps set the stage for future lunar landing missions through Artemis.With initial power-on complete, the crew module will undergo a three-part test over several months which includes applying power to each of the eight power and data units that help provide communication between Orion’s flight computers to its components. In addition, teams will begin installing the forward bay cover, which protect the top part of the crew module as the capsule blazes back through Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 25,000 mph at the end of its missionWith Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and establish long-term exploration in preparation for missions to Mars. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion, along with the commercial human landing system and the Gateway that will orbit the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Moreover, Ladwig states, the Artemis II vehicle will reuse select avionics from the Artemis I crew module; this practice will continue to dramatically increase, she says, to the point where the Artemis III pressure vessel capsule will be entirely refurbished for the Artemis VI mission.
NASA announced Sunday it will name the spaceflight crew of the Artemis II mission in early 2023, following the successful completion of the first phase of its mission to the moon.Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, said at a press conference just hours after the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft that the team wanted to wait until the completion of Artemis I to make an announcement.
Since the ML-1 launcher was built for the Ares launch vehicle, and is more than a decade old, NASA shouldn't be surprised that it wants modifications to the ML-1 launcher because it knows that it sat idle for many years before it decided to use the ML-1 for the SLS rocket.
Avionics boxes off Artemis I's Orion are now coming out and starting to get tested and refurbished as appropriate for use on Artemis II, per multiple accounts online.When will this and related threads be moved to the "Missions to the Moon" subforum, whose subtitle mentions this mission explicitly?
The latest on plans to repair the ML-1 launcher to ensure smooth liftoff of the Artemis 2 with only some minimal damage to the launch pad:https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/12/ml-rollback-mod-timelines/
Once [at the VAB], the ML will spend between four to six weeks [already completed, seems right on the most optimistic schedule] undergoing continued post-launch assessments before the Crawler Transporter teams will pick up the ML and move it out of the VAB to the West Park Site — which is located to the north of the VAB and is the western-most of the two ML park sites.“We’re pretty definite on January 2023,” said Sumner. “Sometime in January, we should be at the West Park Site.” [they are]There, the ML will undergo a majority of its refurbishment and modification work, including installation of the critical Emergency Egress System hardware which will be needed for crew flight operations with Artemis II. [...] While at the West Park Site, the access platforms for the four egress baskets — which would be used to transport personnel safely away from the tower in the event of an emergency — will be installed. [...] Overall, the ML is expected to spend a few months at the West Park Site, though explicit timelines are not currently known due to the uncertainty that remains in post-Artemis I launch damage refurbishment timelines. [ shouldn't be an issue now, looking forward to the new estimates]Also at the West Park Site, pneumatics changes will be carried out on the crew access level. Teams will also install breathing air and gaseous nitrogen stations and systems that would be needed in the event of emergencies.Additional work at the West Park Site will also include modifications to the ignition overpressure protection/sound suppression system that were planned before the Artemis I launch.
At NAC, Bill Nelson says the Artemis II crew will be announced "later in the spring."
CNN Exclusive: Inside the secretive process to select the first astronauts for NASA’s next moon mission:https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/29/world/nasa-artemis-moon-secretive-crew-selection-process/index.htmlhttps://twitter.com/KristinFisher/status/1619744518726885377
Progress Underway on Moon Rockets for NASA’s Crewed Artemis Missions:https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/progress-underway-on-moon-rockets-for-nasa-s-crewed-artemis-missions.html
Just Announced! @NASAOIG will examine NASA’s progress toward achieving its Artemis II goals, including the impact of Artemis I’s mission results.
Is this the first clear image of the Core Stage's engine section manifold toward the engines?...
Quote from: eeergo on 02/07/2023 08:50 amIs this the first clear image of the Core Stage's engine section manifold toward the engines?...No, the engine section is on the right. The manifold in the center of the photo is the bottom of the LH2 tank.
Big day for the #Artemis program as teams at @NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have successfully rotated the engine section for Artemis II. This "flip" is an important milestone for the rocket — and means the core stage is almost complete!
⚠️ Artemis II update ⚠️Teams at #NASAMichoud “flipped” the engine section for the first crewed #Artemis mission from a vertical to a horizontal position in preparation for final integration to the SLS core stage.Check out more @NASAArtemis progress: https://go.nasa.gov/3K5Amb0
The engine section is broken over for horizontal mate to the tanks...https://twitter.com/NASA_SLS/status/1172544228423086082
CS-1 underwent its Engine Section installation in mid-September 2019, and was rolled out around New Years' Eve, a bit over 3 months later.
So CS-2 may end up having to dwell for a bit at MAF or even the VAB?
Quote from: eeergo on 02/14/2023 05:40 amCS-1 underwent its Engine Section installation in mid-September 2019, and was rolled out around New Years' Eve, a bit over 3 months later. Artemis I2019-09-13 rotation of the engine section to a horizontal position2019-09-19 completed the bolting of the engine section to the core stage2019-10-19 RS-25 installation to position 22019-10-29 RS-25 installation to position 12019-11-03 RS-25 installation to position 32019-11-06 RS-25 installation to position 4by 2019-11-15 two external supply lines for liquid oxygen were completed, as well as a system tunnel for power and data cables2019-11-16 starting the final integration functional test (FIFT)2019-12-28 completion of review and check2020-01-01 transfer to building 110 for loading on MPTS transporters2020-01-08 transport to the Pegasus barge and loading2020-01-12 Pegasus set sail to Stennis Space CenterQuote from: eeergo on 02/14/2023 05:40 amSo CS-2 may end up having to dwell for a bit at MAF or even the VAB? Core stage is to be stored in a horizontal position in VAB transfer aisle for several months. After building the storage cell in the High Bay 2 section of the VAB, it is to be stored vertically. This could hopefully happen in the third quarter of 2023.Source: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/12/boeing-expanding-cs-prod/
RS-25 install orientation
🔩 Line it up! Teams at #NASAMichoud have moved the engine section for #Artemis II into place to join it with the rest of the core stage. This section will help power the first crewed @NASAArtemis mission.Learn more about the SLS core stage: https://go.nasa.gov/3Y1PlG2
Isn't it now NET November 2024?
NASA Connects All Major Structures of Artemis II Moon Rocket Core StageTeams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have fully integrated all five major structures of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and return them home. Technicians joined the engine section to the rest of the rocket stage March 17. Next, teams will integrate the four RS-25 engines to the engine section to complete the stage.Located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall core stage, the engine section is the most complex and intricate part of the rocket stage, helping to power Artemis missions to the Moon. In addition to its miles of cabling and hundreds of sensors, the engine section is a crucial attachment point for the RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters that produce a combined 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. It houses the engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling, and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the engines.The core stage for Artemis II is built, outfitted, and assembled at Michoud. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone for astronauts on the way to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Engine section mate ✔ Coming up ➡ Engine installs 🚀Core Stage 2 is nearing completion. This hardware will help lift humankind to deep space for the first time in 50 years as a part of the #Artemis II mission. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3JTmGz9
Meet the four astronauts who will orbit the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft on their approximately 10-day Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight test and a critical step toward establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon. NASA and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) will reveal the three NASA astronauts and one CSA astronaut during an event at 11 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. CDT) (15:00 UTC) on Monday, April 3, from NASA Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston.
#DYK that the Canadian Space Agency has four active astronauts? One of them will soon be announced as a crewmember for the #Artemis II mission, and will be the first CSA astronaut to fly to the Moon! 👨🚀👩🚀Learn about them: https://asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/
Don't miss it! NASA and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) will announce during an event at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 3, from NASA Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston, the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon. Traveling aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft during Artemis II, the mission is the first crewed flight test on the agency’s path to establishing a long-term scientific and human presence on the lunar surface.
The *major* update of the crew selection reveal is being covered in the *discussion* thread, for no real reason other than the fact this very thread should have been in the "Missions to the Moon" section for a while already. Not sure why feet are being dragged over this, when basically all other crewed or uncrewed missions are in their respective sections since basically the thread is created - unless of course only one pertinent section exists. A point could be made for Artemis I as it was a maiden test flight, and it had more to do with the SLS vehicle than with the actual mission (debatable, but ok)... for this one it just hasn't made sense since the beginning though. I've reported this post to mods, hopefully a split-merge can be effected for the crew reveal update posts in the Discussion thread, along with moving this Updates thread.
Quote from: eeergo on 04/03/2023 03:48 pmThe *major* update of the crew selection reveal is being covered in the *discussion* thread, for no real reason other than the fact this very thread should have been in the "Missions to the Moon" section for a while already. Not sure why feet are being dragged over this, when basically all other crewed or uncrewed missions are in their respective sections since basically the thread is created - unless of course only one pertinent section exists. A point could be made for Artemis I as it was a maiden test flight, and it had more to do with the SLS vehicle than with the actual mission (debatable, but ok)... for this one it just hasn't made sense since the beginning though. I've reported this post to mods, hopefully a split-merge can be effected for the crew reveal update posts in the Discussion thread, along with moving this Updates thread.I think this thread is specifically for hardware updates for the SLS for Artemis 2. There are similar threads for A3 and A4.
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, middle, and Dr. Quincy K. Brown, front right, senior policy advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, are shown the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket by Jennifer Boland-Masterson, left, director of manufacturing and site leader at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility for Boeing, during a March 31 visit to Michoud in New Orleans. They are accompanied by Michoud Facility Director Lonnie Dutreix, back right. The 212-foot-tall core stage and its four RS-25 engines will help power NASA’s Artemis II flight test, the first crewed Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and return them home to test the spacecraft in deep space ahead of lunar surface missions. Teams at Michoud recently integrated the last of the five major core stage structures and unboxed the four RS-25 engines. NASA and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, along with Aerojet Rocketdyne, the RS-25 engine lead contractor, are preparing to install the engines to the base of the rocket’s core stage. The core stage and its RS-25 engines produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust at launch.NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with Orion and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
The second #ICPS, built by ULA under a collaborative partnership with @BoeingSpace, is beginning pre-flight testing and preparations to help launch four pioneering astronauts on @NASA's #Artemis II mission around the Moon! Read more in the blog:
ICPS-2: ULA begins readying upper stage for Artemis II launchApril 10, 2023The second Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), derived from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket, is beginning pre-flight testing and preparations to help launch four pioneering astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission around the Moon. ICPS serves as the upper stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to send the Orion spacecraft on lunar exploration missions. The fully integrated SLS, ICPS and Orion system successfully performed the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022.ULA has manufactured three ICPS stages in our factory in Decatur, Alabama, under a collaborative partnership with Boeing. The stages will be used for the initial three SLS rockets.ICPS-2 was delivered to ULA facilities at Cape Canaveral in 2021. The stage recently came out of storage and moved into a test cell at the Delta Operation Center to begin undergoing checkouts and processing to support the Artemis II launch.The ICPS is based on the five-meter-diameter version of ULA's Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) that has flown on Delta IV missions since 2004 with 100 percent mission success. ICPS-1 performance for the Artemis I mission was nominal, delivering the push needed to send Orion out of Earth orbit to travel around the Moon.ICPS features a slightly larger liquid hydrogen tank as compared to the Delta IV second stage, as well as electrical and mechanical interfaces specific to attaching and supporting the Orion spacecraft, and a second hydrazine bottle for additional attitude control propellant.The ICPS for Artemis II also includes an Emergency Detection System (EDS) and other hardware changes specific to human safety.The stage feeds liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-2 main engine to produce 24,750 pounds (110.1 kilo-Newtons) of highly efficient thrust.The ICPS-2 stage on Artemis II will provide the boost for the Orion capsule and its four astronauts to reach the desired high Earth orbit stretching 68,000 miles (109,435 km) above the planet before separating from the Moon-bound spacecraft.The stage will also be used as a target object for Orion to test rendezvous and proximity operations.The approximately 10-day Artemis II flight will prove the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space. NASA has assigned three Americans and one Canadian Space Agency astronaut to the mission: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen.
ICPS-2 is moved to the Delta Operations Center at Cape Canaveral for processing. Photo by United Launch Alliance
ICPS-2 arrives at the Delta Operations Center to prepare for the Artemis II mission. Photo by United Launch Alliance
#ICYMI // The second #ICPS, built by ULA under a collaborative partnership with @BoeingSpace is undergoing testing and preps to help launch four pioneering astronauts on @NASA's #Artemis Il mission around the Moon! Read more in the blog: https://blog.ulalaunch.com/blog/icps-2-ula-begins-readying-upper-stage-for-artemis-ii-launch
NASA is using lasers to evolve how the agency communicates between spacecraft. In the past, the space agency has relied on radio signals beamed through its Deep Space Network to transmit any sort of scientific data from deep space probes back to Earth. Lasers, however, have the ability to vastly increase the amount of data spacecraft are able to send, and NASA is ready to send the technology around the moon. NASA is including laser communications in the form of the Orion Artemis 2 Optical Communications System (O2O) terminal on Artemis 2, the next crewed mission around the moon. "Onboard the Orion capsule, the O2O system will send back high-resolution images and video from the lunar region," a NASA video published in April states. If all goes according to plan, the system should enable viewers on Earth to see the moon in real-time like never before.
https://twitter.com/NASAArtemis/status/1658168728188583936Much more info here:https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-gears-up-to-train-artemis-ii-crew-for-moon-mission
The Artemis II mission’s laser communication system, the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O), has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. O2O, which enhances data transmission, will send high-definition videos and other information from the moon to Earth, supporting further space exploration and discoveries.The laser communications system for NASA’s Artemis II mission arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration with the Orion spacecraft, which will carry astronauts around the Moon for the first time since the Apollo missions.
Jul 3, 2023NASA Rocket Flight Software for Artemis II Meets Testing CheckpointThe first Artemis astronauts have begun crew training for their Artemis II mission around the Moon, and teams at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are testing and configuring the flight software for the mega Moon rocket that will launch them on their journey.When NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) launches NASA’s Artemis II crew aboard the Orion spacecraft, it will produce more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust. The SLS rocket’s flight software acts as the “brains” of the rocket, activating 48 hours prior to launch to command all that power and energy for the first eight minutes of the mission through the separation of its in-space propulsion stage. Inside the SLS Software Development Facility (SDF) at Marshall, software engineers recently completed the first part of formal qualification testing for the Artemis II SLS flight software.The rocket’s flight software consists of approximately 50,000 lines of code. To test the SLS computer systems and flight software ahead of launch, a team inside the SDF simulates a series of normal and off-nominal SLS- rocket and environmental scenarios, called test cases. SLS flight software qualification testing includes multiple test procedures to verify software requirements. By the conclusion of the two-week test period on May 15, engineers had completed 179 test procedures with approximately 58,000 test cases. In comparison, the first phase of qualification testing for Artemis II completed in 2022 had 72 test procedures consisting of 9,500 test cases.“The SLS flight software team integrated operational improvements and new test scenarios in preparation for Artemis II based on lessons learned from the successful launch of Artemis I in November 2022,” said Dan Mitchell, NASA’s lead SLS integrated avionics and software engineer. “The test facilities at Marshall Space Flight Center have the capability to produce thousands of test cases the SLS flight software is required to detect and respond to appropriately on launch day, offering us the opportunity to assess and certify all the major software elements and systems on the rocket before the first crew flies on SLS.”The second and final phase of formal qualification testing for the SLS flight software in the SDF is set to begin in July. Beginning in the fall, engineers will begin integrated system testing in the SLS System Integration Lab (SIL) using the full suite of SLS avionics hardware and flight software. Together, the test results from the SIL system and the flight software SDF will provide teams key evidence to support mission readiness for Artemis II. By the time the SLS rocket launches Artemis II, flight software engineers will have “flown” the SLS mission more than 100,000 times within the various SLS avionics and software development and test facilities.NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.Image Credit: NASA/ Brandon HancockLast Updated: Jul 3, 2023Editor: Lee MohonTags: Artemis, Moon to Mars, Space Launch System
United Launch Alliance (ULA) affixed a rendezvous target on the second Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS-2) that the Artemis II astronauts will use in guiding their Orion spacecraft through demonstrations of proximity operations. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
🚀 MILESTONE ALERTThe RS-25 engine installation process has begun for the SLS rocket that will help power @NASAArtemis II. The engines produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help send @NASA_Orion and the crew inside around the Moon.LEARN MORE: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2023/09/13/first-rs-25-engine-installed-to-nasas-artemis-ii-moon-rocket/
The SLS core stage for Artemis II has begun RS-25 engine installation operations.NSF's Philip Sloss spoke with Bill Muddle, Lead RS-25 Field Integration Engineer for Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Progress to the pad! All four RS-25 engines now added to our Artemis II @NASA_SLS Moon rocket. Harnessing the knowledge learned from #Artemis I, teams at Michoud Assembly Facility are working to fully integrate and secure all the engines onto the @NASAArtemis II core stage to prepare the mega rocket that will help send astronauts around the Moon.
Here come the Artemis II SRB segments that will provide most of the power to launch the next SLS rocket into space, this time with crew.nsf.live/spacecoast
10 total segments make up two 5 segment SRBs that power the SLS rocket🚀
The second Core Stage for SLS, set to launch the first crew on Artemis II, is now scheduled to be ready for shipping by mid-December.NSF's Philip Sloss spoke with Jonathan Looser, NASA SLS Core Stage Design Team Lead, on the latest status:
Latest status of where things stand for Artemis II:https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1658123935240667138Schedule estimates from second attached slide:- All Artemis II hardware complete and ready for delivery within 2023, with positive margins.- CM about to undergo final installations.- SM in integrated testing (with CMA attached).- CS-2 engined next month, completed a couple of months after that (complete by early Fall).- ICPS at the Cape, but in ULA facilities for now for testing.- LVSA ready for delivery.- SRMs awaiting action in Utah.- ML-1 on track to support current Artemis II launch date, including crew mods to pad.
Quote from: eeergo on 05/15/2023 02:57 pmLatest status of where things stand for Artemis II:https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1658123935240667138Schedule estimates from second attached slide:- All Artemis II hardware complete and ready for delivery within 2023, with positive margins.- CM about to undergo final installations.- SM in integrated testing (with CMA attached).- CS-2 engined next month, completed a couple of months after that (complete by early Fall).- ICPS at the Cape, but in ULA facilities for now for testing.- LVSA ready for delivery.- SRMs awaiting action in Utah.- ML-1 on track to support current Artemis II launch date, including crew mods to pad.I miss the installation date for the RS-25 engines in these milestone pictures
NASA Prepares Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage for Final Assembly PhaseNASA and industry partners Aerojet Rocketdyne and Boeing have installed all four RS-25 engines onto the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage for the agency’s Artemis II mission, signaling the core stage is nearing completion. Once complete, the core stage will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During launch, the rocket’s engines provide more than two million pounds of combined thrust. Image credit: NASA/Danny Nowlin
Welding problems have popped up for the LOX tank.... I thought they had gotten a handle over these issues...then again its Boeing we're talking about... https://www.space.com/artemis-2-moon-rocket-space-launch-system-welding-issues-report
SLS Core Stage prime contractor Boeing is back to two shifts a day at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) to complete the Core Stage for Artemis II by the end of the year.Philip Sloss visited MAF to sit down with officials to gain info on the latest.
Take a look at @NASAGroundSys' first look of the SLS booster processing for #Artemis II.The left and right aft motor segments are mated to the aft skirts which will be followed by the installation of the aft exit cones. Next, they will be moved for assembly.
The SLS rocket for #Artemis II has reached several milestones recently including the installation of all four RS-25 engines onto the core stage last month. Watch as technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility install the engines:
Watch Crews Add RS-25 Engines to NASA Artemis II SLS Rocket Artemis II reached a significant milestone as teams fully installed all four RS-25 engines to the 212-foot-tall core stage for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. During Artemis II, the four engines, arranged like legs on a chair at the bottom of the mega rocket, will fire for eight minutes at launch, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the Artemis II crew around the Moon. Boeing is the lead contractor for the SLS core stage. Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, is the lead contractor for the SLS engines. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the SLS Program and Michoud. Image credit: NASA
Nov 14, 2023Artemis 2's Space Launch System rocket core stage was fitted with 4 RS-25 engines recently at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Footage courtesy: NASA/Evan Deroche/Steven Seipel/Eric Bordelon
Artemis II Astronauts View SLS Core Stage at Michoud Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch of NASA, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen view the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Nov. 16. The three astronauts, along with NASA’s Victor Glover, will launch atop the rocket stage to venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed flight for Artemis. The core stage, towering 212 feet, is the backbone of the SLS mega rocket and serves to support the weight of the payload, upper stage, and the crew inside the Orion Spacecraft. It also includes two massive propellant tanks that collectively hold 733,000 gallons of propellant to help power the stage's four RS-25 engines. The astronauts’ visit to Michoud coincided with the first anniversary of the launch of Artemis I. The uncrewed flight test of SLS and Orion was the first in a series of increasingly complex missions for Artemis as the agency works to return humans to the lunar surface and develop a long-term presence there for discovery and exploration. Image credits: NASA/Michael DeMocker
NASA KennedyKSC-20231128-PH-KLS01_0061 Engineers and technicians process the right forward center segment of the Space Launch System solid rocket boosters for the Artemis II mission inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. The team has been examining the 10 booster segments one-by-one then lifting them to make sure they are ready for integration and launch before moving them to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking atop the mobile launcher. Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will blast off from Kennedy and travel around the moon for the agency's first crewed mission under Artemis that will test all of the Orion spacecraft's systems. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
The Orion stage adapter has been flipped at @NASA_Marshall. Once attached to the diaphragm, it will act as a barrier to prevent gases during #Artemis II launch from entering @NASA_Orion. This is one of the last steps before delivery to @NASAKennedy. MORE:
NASA Teams Prepare Moon Rocket-to-Spacecraft Connector for AssemblyBeth RidgewayLee MohonDEC 11, 2023The elements of the super-heavy lift SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis II mission are undergoing final preparations before shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for stacking and pre-launch activities in 2024.Teams at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, recently rotated the Orion stage adapter– a ring structure that connects NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the SLS rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) – in preparation for the installation of its diaphragm. The installation Nov. 30 marks one of the final steps for the adapter before it is readied for shipment to Kennedy via NASA’s Super Guppy cargo aircraft.“The diaphragm is a composite, dome-shaped structure that isolates the volume above the ICPS from that below Orion,” said Brent Gaddes, lead for the Orion stage adapter, in the Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office for the SLS Program at Marshall. “It serves as a barrier between the two, preventing the highly flammable hydrogen gas that could escape the rocket’s propellant tanks from building up beneath the Orion spacecraft and its crew before and during launch.”At five feet tall and weighing in at 1,800 pounds, the adapter is the smallest major element of the SLS rocket that will produce more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to launch four Artemis astronauts inside Orion around the Moon. The adapter is fully manufactured by engineering teams at Marshall.NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with Orion and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.For more on NASA SLS visit:https://www.nasa.gov/sls
Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center flip the Artemis II Orion stage adapter for installation of its diaphragm Nov. 30.NASA/Sam Lott
NASA KennedyKSC-20231213-PH-FMX01_0024 Technicians with Exploration Ground Systems perform inspections of the Northrop Grumman-manufactured two aft exit cones on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida before mating processes begin for the agency’s Artemis II mission. The aft exit cones are attached to the bottom piece of the two boosters, (seen here in these photos), which is called the aft segment, and the exit cones act like a battery pack to provide added thrust for the boosters while protecting the aft skirts from thermal environment during launch of the agency’s first crewed mission under Artemis that will test all of the Orion spacecraft systems. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
NASA KennedyKSC-20231213-PH-FMX01_0012 Technicians with Exploration Ground Systems perform inspections of the Northrop Grumman-manufactured two aft exit cones on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida before mating processes begin for the agency’s Artemis II mission. The aft exit cones are attached to the bottom piece of the two boosters, (seen here in these photos), which is called the aft segment, and the exit cones act like a battery pack to provide added thrust for the boosters while protecting the aft skirts from thermal environment during launch of the agency’s first crewed mission under Artemis that will test all of the Orion spacecraft systems. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
NASA KennedyKSC-20231213-PH-FMX01_0008 Technicians with Exploration Ground Systems perform pre-mate inspections of the Northrop Grumman-manufactured right aft exit cone of the Artemis II Space Launch Systems solid rocket boosters on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASAâs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each of the two aft exit cones will be prepared for the agencyâs Artemis II flight and attach to the aft segments of the Space Launch Systems solid rocket boosters. The exit cones act like a battery pack to provide added thrust for the boosters while protecting the aft skirts from thermal environment during launch. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
🎥🚀 Initial assembly of the @NASA_SLS rocket boosters for @NASAArtemis II has been underway inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at @NASAKennedy. Here, the 'aft exit cones' are attached to the bottom piece of the two boosters, or 'aft segments', to form the 'aft assemblies'.The exit cones provide added thrust for the boosters during launch. Booster assembly will continue in this facility, before moving to the Vehicle Assembly Building for further rocket assembly.LEARN MORE:
Artemis II Booster Surges Ahead at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Jamie GrohDEC 08, 2023Inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers and technicians process the right forward center segment of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Nov. 28, 2023. The ongoing processing of the segments is the first step before stacking operations begin and the segments will form the twin solid rocket boosters for the SLS rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis II mission. After arriving via rail in September, the team has been inspecting each segment one-by-one and lifting them to a vertical position to ensure the solid propellant and segment are ready for integration and launch. Once processing is complete for all 10 segments, they will be moved one at a time to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking atop the mobile launcher. Standing 17 stories tall and burning approximately six tons of propellant every second, each booster generates more thrust than 14 four-engine jumbo commercial airliners. Together, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The Artemis II mission will send four astronauts around the Moon as part of the agency’s effort to establish a long-term science and exploration presence at the Moon, and eventually Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Engineers and technicians process the right forward center segment of the Space Launch System solid rocket boosters for the Artemis II mission inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2023.
Engineers and technicians process and inspect the propellant of the right forward center segment of the Space Launch System solid rocket boosters for the Artemis II mission inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight CenterArtemis II Update NASA will roll the fully assembled core stage for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch the first crewed #Artemis mission out of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans in mid-July. The 212-foot-tall stage will be loaded on the agency’s Pegasus barge for delivery to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here, the core stage is currently behind scaffolding to allow work to continue at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The stage’s two massive propellant tanks hold a collective 733,000 gallons of liquid propellant to power the four RS-25 engines at its base. Following hardware acceptance reviews and final checkouts, the stage will be readied for delivery. Image credit: NASA/ Eric Bordelon
NASA has selected astronaut Andre Douglas as its backup crew member for the agency’s Artemis II test flight, the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign.Douglas will train alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.In the event a NASA astronaut is unable to take part in the flight, Douglas would join the Artemis II crew.“Andre’s educational background and extensive operational experience in his various jobs prior to joining NASA are clear evidence of his readiness to support this mission,” said Joe Acaba, chief astronaut at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “He excelled in his astronaut candidate training and technical assignments, and we are confident he will continue to do so as NASA’s backup crew member for Artemis II.” The CSA announced Jenni Gibbons as its backup crew member in November 2023. Gibbons would step into the mission to represent Canada should Hansen not be available.“Canada’s seat on the historic Artemis II flight is a direct result of our contribution of Canadarm3 to the lunar Gateway. Jenni Gibbons’ assignment as backup is of utmost importance for our country,” said CSA President Lisa Campbell. “Since being recruited, Jenni has distinguished herself repeatedly through her work with NASA and the CSA. She is also a tremendous role model for Canada’s future scientists, engineers, and explorers.”The selection of Douglas and Gibbons as backup crew members for Artemis II is independent of the selection of crew members for Artemis III. NASA has not yet selected crew members for Artemis flights beyond Artemis II. All active NASA astronauts are eligible for assignment to any human spaceflight mission.
Technicians lift NASA’s Orion spacecraft out of the Final Assembly and System Testing cell on June 28, 2024. The integrated spacecraft, which will be used for the Artemis II mission to orbit the Moon, has been undergoing final rounds of testing and assembly, including end-to-end performance verification of its subsystems and checking for leaks in its propulsion systems.A 30-ton crane returned Orion into the recently renovated altitude chamber where it underwent electromagnetic testing. The spacecraft now will undergo a series of tests that will subject it to a near-vacuum environment by removing air, thus creating a space where the pressure is extremely low. This results in no atmosphere, similar to the one the spacecraft will experience during future lunar missions. The data recorded during these tests will be used to qualify the spacecraft to safely fly the Artemis II astronauts through the harsh environment of space.
NASA is preparing the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage that will help power the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis campaign for shipment. On July 6, NASA and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, moved the Artemis II rocket stage to another part of the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The move comes as teams prepare to roll the massive rocket stage to the agency’s Pegasus barge for delivery to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in mid-July.Prior to the move, technicians began removing external access stands, or scaffolding, surrounding the rocket stage in early June. NASA and Boeing teams used the scaffolding surrounding the core stage to assess the interior elements, including its complex avionics and propulsion systems. The 212-foot core stage has two huge propellant tanks, avionics and flight computer systems, and four RS-25 engines, which together enable the stage to operate during launch and flight.
Move teams with NASA and Boeing, the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage lead contractor, position the massive rocket stage for NASA’s SLS rocket on special transporters to strategically guide the flight hardware the 1.3-mile distance from the factory floor onto the agency’s Pegasus barge on July 16. The core stage will be ferried to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will be integrated with other parts of the rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis II mission. Pegasus is maintained at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility.Credit: NASA
NASA Announces its Artemis II Backup Crew Member for Moon MissionQuoteNASA has selected astronaut Andre Douglas as its backup crew member for the agency’s Artemis II test flight, the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign.Douglas will train alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.In the event a NASA astronaut is unable to take part in the flight, Douglas would join the Artemis II crew.“Andre’s educational background and extensive operational experience in his various jobs prior to joining NASA are clear evidence of his readiness to support this mission,” said Joe Acaba, chief astronaut at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “He excelled in his astronaut candidate training and technical assignments, and we are confident he will continue to do so as NASA’s backup crew member for Artemis II.” The CSA announced Jenni Gibbons as its backup crew member in November 2023. Gibbons would step into the mission to represent Canada should Hansen not be available.“Canada’s seat on the historic Artemis II flight is a direct result of our contribution of Canadarm3 to the lunar Gateway. Jenni Gibbons’ assignment as backup is of utmost importance for our country,” said CSA President Lisa Campbell. “Since being recruited, Jenni has distinguished herself repeatedly through her work with NASA and the CSA. She is also a tremendous role model for Canada’s future scientists, engineers, and explorers.”The selection of Douglas and Gibbons as backup crew members for Artemis II is independent of the selection of crew members for Artemis III. NASA has not yet selected crew members for Artemis flights beyond Artemis II. All active NASA astronauts are eligible for assignment to any human spaceflight mission.
This leads me to believe Douglas will be assigned to Artemis 3. NASA has, during commercial crew at least, followed the convention (generally) of assigning the following mission's crew as the backup crew. NASA has also said Artemis 3 will put the first POC on the Moon, for which he would fit the bill.
SLS Core Stage for Artemis II rollout from Pegasus to the VAB. Live commentary:youtube.com/live/Mu-dvOOna…
Here comes big orange. Our country’s first ride to the moon since 1972.📸 - @NASASpaceflight 📺 - youtube.com/live/Mu-dvOOna…
We are the Artemis generation. Artemis II’s core stage has arrived to the Kennedy Space Center and has entered the VAB for preflight processing.📸 - @NASASpaceflight 📺 - youtube.com/live/Mu-dvOOna…
A quick five-minute Florida sun shower appeared to cool off our Exploration Ground Systems teams as the @NASAArtemis II core stage makes its three-point turn to be in the proper configuration for entering the Vehicle Assembly Building. 🌦
Core stage just crossed the street at @NASAKennedy. It is halfway to its final destination for today’s operation, the Vehicle Assembly Building.
That’s a wrap! 🎉 Core stage II is officially hard down in the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy, meaning it is no longer supported by the self-propelled modular transporters, and is fully resting on the skid beams. This concludes offload and transport operations!
To mark progress toward the first crewed flight test around the Moon in more than 50 years for the benefit of humanity, NASA will welcome media Wednesday, Aug. 21, to see a key adapter for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter connects the rocket’s core stage to the upper stage and helps protect the upper stage’s engine that will help propel the Artemis II mission around the Moon. The event includes seeing the adapter on the move as it prepares for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Media will have the opportunity to capture images and video and speak to subject matter experts as crews move the adapter out of NASA Marshall’s Building 4708 to the agency’s Pegasus barge. The barge will ferry the adapter first to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, where it will pick up additional SLS hardware for future Artemis missions, and then travel to NASA Kennedy. In Florida, teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems will prepare the adapter for stacking and launch.This event is open to U.S. media, who must RSVP by 5 p.m. CDT on Monday, Aug. 19, to Jonathan Deal at [email protected]. Additional details about timing and other details for the event are forthcoming to registered media.Manufactured by prime contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering and the Jacobs Space Exploration Group’s ESSCA contract using NASA Marshall’s self-reacting friction-stir robotic and vertical weld tools, the launch vehicle stage adapter is the largest SLS component for Artemis II that is made at the center.Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon. The rocket is part of NASA’s deep space exploration plans, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. NASA’s SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.For more on SLS, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/sls–end–
Sneak peek 👀The @NASA_SLS launch vehicle stage adapter for #Artemis II is preparing to make its way from #NASAMarshall to @NASAKennedy via the agency's Pegasus barge. The adapter will connect the rocket’s core stage to the upper stage and help protect the upper stage’s engine.
All aboard!⛴️A key adapter for @NASAArtemis II is officially on board the agency's Pegasus barge and will soon depart @NASA_Marshall for @NASAKennedy.One step closer to sending astronauts back to the Moon!Watch more here: https://go.nasa.gov/4cxT05H
Aug 25, 2024More Artemis II and Artemis III hardware is on the way to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will eventually launch, but the questions about how preparations are going and outstanding issues remain unresolved. The SLS Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter for Artemis II and the Orion European Service Module for Artemis III are traveling by sea and should arrive at KSC in September.But when the next milestones in preparation for those two missions might occur are to be announced. This video runs through the hardware, the deliveries, and the questions that remain swirling about Artemis II and III.The potential for more delays to Artemis III led NASA to plan to extend the LVSA support contract through the rest of the decade if it comes to that, and I consider what that might mean here, too.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.Stephen Clark's story for Ars Technica:https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/08/nasa-wants-clarity-on-orion-heat-shield-issue-before-stacking-artemis-ii-rocket/Jeff Foust's story for Space News:https://spacenews.com/sls-contract-extension-hints-at-additional-artemis-delays/00:00 Intro00:59 Artemis II LVSA begins shipment to KSC for launch05:13 Artemis II VAB preps continue...08:15 ...but SLS stacking schedule for Artemis II remains uncertain11:51 ESM-3 begins its shipment to KSC from Germany15:38 LVSA contract extension would enable support the rest of the decade20:14 Thanks for watching!
Sep 1, 2024There's a lot of Artemis news to cover in this video, starting with an update from the NASA Exploration Ground Systems program on Artemis II status and schedules. Leadership for the NASA Exploration directorate briefed the NASA Advisory Council that same morning with more context about upcoming Artemis II decisions that need to be made on heatshield options and vehicle stacking.And we're seeing progress and milestones for Artemis II, III, and IV at the same time that the Inspector General for the space agency reports on issues they found with the Mobile Launcher-2 project. So that's more of the mixed messaging: the OIG report details cost and schedule overruns for the ML that will enter service beginning with Artemis IV simultaneously with completion of Orion and SLS flight subassemblies that are currently "out for delivery."We'll be digesting the new information and context over the next few weeks, but we'll start here.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.00:00 Intro00:38 EGS senior manager Cliff Lanham talks to the podcast about Artemis II status02:08 Mobile Launcher-1 emergency egress system testing update03:11 Status of other ML-Pad 39B verification and validation testing06:36 Readiness of Artemis II SLS Boosters for stacking07:38 Artemis II ICPS status10:13 Readiness of SLS Core Stage for Artemis II stacking14:20 Timing of NASA decision on when to start Artemis II stacking17:48 Artemis II takeaways from NASA Exploration public report in NASA Advisory Council meeting21:31 OIG reports on Mobile Launcher-2 cost and schedule compliance issues26:19 News and notes, VAB High Bay 2, SLS triple delivery pickup in New Orleans29:50 Thanks for watching!
Pegasus Barge arriving into the KSC turn basin with hardware for three SLS missions: Stage Adapter for Artemis II. Boat-tail for Artemis III. Core stage engine section for Artemis IVhttp://nsf.live/spacecoast
Sep 8, 2024The arrival this past week of new Orion and SLS flight hardware at Kennedy Space Center for Artemis II, III, and IV is a reminder of the uncertain launch schedule. This video covers those deliveries, of the Artemis II SLS Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter, Artemis II Orion European Service Module, and SLS Core Stage engine section hardware for Artemis III and IV.Artemis II is scheduled for launch only one year from this month, and most of the SLS hardware for Artemis II is now in and around the Vehicle Assembly Building. In this video, we also cover plans and preparations for the launch campaign in the second part of an interview with Exploration Ground Systems senior vehicle operations manager Cliff Lanham.Meanwhile, the next milestones for that newly-delivery hardware are known in general, but when those and other Artemis III milestones will happen is harder to see. We go over the cloudy forecast and other Artemis III takeaways from the late August NASA Advisory Council meeting here, too.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.00:00 Intro02:13 A week of Orion and SLS flight hardware deliveries to KSC03:00 ESM-3 arrives in Orion final assembly at KSC04:21 Core Stage engine section hardware packaged for shipment at MAF06:45 Offloading SLS triple shipment from Pegasus at KSC09:12 EGS senior manager Cliff Lanham talks to the podcast about Artemis II launch plans10:13 Improving launch availability with contingency pad access capability18:36 Artemis II pad flow from rollout to launch20:35 Integrating the astronaut crew ingress of Orion into the launch countdown24:05 Artemis III takeaways from NASA Exploration public report in NASA Advisory Council meeting25:12 "At least" one uncrewed HLS lunar landing demonstration?25:53 Outlook for the future remains cloudy only two years from Artemis III launch date27:55 Thanks for watching!Chapters
Sep 15, 2024The wait for NASA's decision on the Orion heatshield continues and that will have a big impact on what comes next for Artemis II and III, but now there's another question for Artemis III, which is how big an effect will SpaceX's stance on the environment around their Texas launch site for Starship be for NASA's Exploration plans.This video covers that, the post-delivery activity on the Orion and SLS hardware at Kennedy Space Center, and more on Exploration Ground Systems readiness and plans to stack SLS for Artemis II.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.00:00 Intro01:44 Next milestones for the recently delivered Artemis II, III, and IV hardware at KSC06:45 EGS senior manager Cliff Lanham talks to the podcast about Artemis II launch plans20:24 Another look at the Artemis II SLS Core Stage provided by NASA Admin Bill Nelson21:27 Starship IFT-5 delayed by environmental impact reviews24:52 Artemis II alternatives to consider if no NASA decision is forthcoming26:03 Thanks for watching!
NASA's Exploration Ground Systems@NASAGroundSysAlright, alright, alright ➡️On Thursday, Exploration Ground Systems teams transported the right aft assembly for the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters to the Vehicle Assembly Building and placed it next to the left aft assembly atop mobile launcher 1.To lift and stack the aft assemblies, teams use a specialized lifting beam with leveling links, which serves as an adapter to interface between the crane and hardware, ensuring perfect configuration. Once in High Bay 3, teams aligned the four aft skirt shoes with the mobile launcher’s vehicle support posts, completing transfer of the aft assemblies.
ESM-4 gets its first helium tank !The US-European #Orion mission - led by @esa and @NASA - enabling astronauts to live and work in the first ever lunar space station has hit an important milestone🎉 The first helium tank has just been installed on the spacecraft! Next step: Reaction Control Thrusters integration 🔜
In this image from Dec. 11, 2024, the 212-foot-tall SLS (Space Launch System) core stage is lowered into High Bay 2 at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With the move to High Bay 2, NASA and Boeing technicians now have 360-degree access to the core stage both internally and externally.
Dec 19, 2024 The 212-foot-tall SLS (Space Launch System) core stage for NASA Artemis II is seen being moved from a horizontal position to a vertical position in High Bay 2 at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With the move to High Bay 2, NASA and Boeing technicians now have 360-degree access to the core stage both internally and externally.
12-month clock started with the stacking of the left aft center segment on top of the left aft segment yesterday:
NASA provided a late-year Artemis update at a Kennedy Space Center media event this past week and in this video, I'll review what we saw and heard. The space agency recently made the decision to fly Artemis II with the existing base heatshield on the Orion spacecraft, while delaying the launch date until April 2026.That decision to continue was made only a couple of weeks ago, and so NASA still has some work to do to figure out the roadmap from the end of this year until Artemis II is ready to fly. Orion is the critical path for the launch date and with plans in flux, there wasn't much news to share about that yet.Coupled with few updates or events throughout 2024, the timing and remaining uncertainty gave the event a weird vibe. There wasn't much news and with the Artemis II Orion and SLS being actively worked on, we saw more Artemis III and IV Orion hardware than anything else. Most of the uncertainty about the future of Artemis remains heading into 2025, with the possibility that Elon Musk and the incoming Trump administration have big changes planned when they take over in a month. That's why it felt a little like the media event was more about that uncertainty about the political future.
Quote from: DaveS on 12/20/2024 02:18 pm12-month clock started with the stacking of the left aft center segment on top of the left aft segment yesterday:NASA's process is clearly broken. They know for sure that they will not launch before April 2026, but they just performed an operation that requires a launch before January 2026, apparently without announcing any sort of formal extension of the clock. Is one part of NASA trying to force an out-of-process after-the-fact extension, or do these safety and engineering rules just not matter? Why not just wait until June or so before doing the stack that stared the clock?
Quote from: DanClemmensen on 12/20/2024 02:50 pmQuote from: DaveS on 12/20/2024 02:18 pm12-month clock started with the stacking of the left aft center segment on top of the left aft segment yesterday:NASA's process is clearly broken. They know for sure that they will not launch before April 2026, but they just performed an operation that requires a launch before January 2026, apparently without announcing any sort of formal extension of the clock. Is one part of NASA trying to force an out-of-process after-the-fact extension, or do these safety and engineering rules just not matter? Why not just wait until June or so before doing the stack that stared the clock?The 12-month clock has been overtaken by events and analysis. It is no longer relevant. There are techs being paid good money sitting around on their hands. better to take advantage of past accepted analyses and put them to work getting ahead of the game. Building up schedule pad without increasing risk is a good thing.
Quote from: The Phantom on 01/04/2025 05:46 pmQuote from: DanClemmensen on 12/20/2024 02:50 pmQuote from: DaveS on 12/20/2024 02:18 pm12-month clock started with the stacking of the left aft center segment on top of the left aft segment yesterday:NASA's process is clearly broken. They know for sure that they will not launch before April 2026, but they just performed an operation that requires a launch before January 2026, apparently without announcing any sort of formal extension of the clock. Is one part of NASA trying to force an out-of-process after-the-fact extension, or do these safety and engineering rules just not matter? Why not just wait until June or so before doing the stack that stared the clock?The 12-month clock has been overtaken by events and analysis. It is no longer relevant. There are techs being paid good money sitting around on their hands. better to take advantage of past accepted analyses and put them to work getting ahead of the game. Building up schedule pad without increasing risk is a good thing.Fine. Why did NASA explicitly refer to the one-year clock at the press briefing? Why have they not formally announced that there is no longer a one-year clock, and there is now formally a two-year clock, or whatever the new analyses have shown?
Last week, Exploration Ground Systems teams at @NASAKennedy stacked the left aft center segment of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters for @NASAArtemis II 🚀The two solid rocket boosters provide more than 75% of the rocket’s thrust during the first two minutes of flight. Each modified booster is 177 feet tall, 12 feet in diameter, weighs 1.6 million pounds, and produces a maximum of 3.6 million pounds of thrust during launch.
New year, new segment stacked 🗓️Earlier this week, teams with Exploration Ground Systems stacked the right aft center segment of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters for the @NASAArtemis II mission. Each booster is made up of five fueled segments and a forward assembly, or nose cone, and weighs 1.6 million pounds. Both boosters now stand one aft assembly and one segment tall on mobile launcher 1 in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy.Read more about the stacking process here: https://go.nasa.gov/4jc9R2p
Yesterday, teams with Exploration Ground Systems transported the forward assemblies of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters for the @NASAArtemis II mission. Each assembly consists of three parts: a forward skirt which houses avionics, a frustum which houses motors that separate the boosters from the core stage during flight, and a nose cone which serves as the aerodynamic fairing for the booster.Read more about the solid rocket boosters here: https://go.nasa.gov/4gXsrde
The @NASA worm wiggled its way onto mobile launcher 1 🪱Earlier this week, teams with Exploration Ground Systems at @NASAKennedy stacked the right center center segment of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters for the @NASAArtemis II mission. This is the fifth of 10 fueled segments, or motor segments, teams have stacked on mobile launcher 1.
This next segment is brought to you by Exploration Ground Systems🎙️Earlier this week, teams stacked the right forward center segment of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters for the @NASAArtemis II mission. Now, more than half of the motor segments are stacked on mobile launcher 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy. Once complete, the boosters will stand 17 stories tall.
Raising the roof! 🏘️Before stacking each segment, teams attach a joint roof enclosure. When the new segment is lowered over an already-stacked segment, teams will unroll the roof material to create a tent around the joining segments. This creates a clean room and temperature-controlled environment for the hard mate portion of the stacking process, when the segments are pinned together.
Say this quickly three times: Ground Systems superstars stack seventh segment swiftlyOver the weekend, teams lifted the left center center segment of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters for the @NASAArtemis II mission into High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. This is the seventh of 10 motor segments stacked on mobile launcher 1 at @NASAKennedy.
Up (and over) next is the left forward center segment!Last week, teams lifted another @NASA_SLS solid rocket booster segment up in the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle and over onto mobile launcher 1 in High Bay 3. To complete booster stacking for the @NASAArtemis II mission, teams will lift two more motor segments and two cone-shaped forward assemblies.
Last week, teams with Exploration Ground Systems stacked the left forward segment of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters onto mobile launcher 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building. This is the ninth of 10 motor segments to be stacked for the @NASAArtemis II mission.
Time stamps00:58 Artemis II stacking continues, with the SLS Boosters almost complete01:52 Right-hand forward segment is the last of ten to be stacked, RPSF now empty03:37 The forward assemblies will top out the left and right boosters
10 out of 10! 🙌This week, teams with Exploration Ground Systems stacked the right forward segment, the tenth motor segment of the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters. The stacked segments are nearing their final height of 177ft tall.To complete booster stacking, teams will stack the forward assemblies, which were transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building in January.
Feb 17, 20252025-02-17 – CSA astronauts Jeremy Hansen and Jenni Gibbons, along with the rest of their Artemis II crewmates, had the chance to view segments of the SLS rocket, as well as the Orion capsule that will take the prime crew around the Moon. Jeremy shares his excitement live from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
With stacking of the forward assemblies, or nose cones, complete, the last segments have been integrated to complete the booster configuration. Each forward assembly contains an aerodynamic top, a forward skirt housing avionics, and frustum housing motors that allow the boosters to separate from the SLS core stage after launch.In total, 10 segments — five segments per booster – were transported from Kennedy’s Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, where they underwent processing after arriving by train in September 2023 from Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing facility in Utah, to the VAB for stacking operations. Engineers will integrate the SLS core stage, currently undergoing processing in the VAB’s High Bay 2, in the coming weeks.
Scott Schilke@SchilkeScottVideo inside the #NASA #VAB from the 5th & 16th floors during todays media #Artemis II morning with twin fully stacked #NorthropGrumman SRB's in Highbay #3 and the center core still at Highbay #2 ! Three photos from Dec. 16th 2024 with #astronauts Highbay #2 🇺🇲@LiveStormChaser
Over the weekend, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) for the @NASAArtemis II mission arrived at @NASAKennedy! Teams delivered the stage to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility from United Launch Alliance’s Delta Operations Center at neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.Read more about the ICPS here: https://go.nasa.gov/3FdUkzU
After United Launch Alliance transported the @NASAArtemis II interim cryogenic propulsion stage to @NASAKennedy, teams passed the baton to Exploration Ground Systems, officially handing over the hardware.The 45-foot-tall stage will provide in-space propulsion after the @NASA_SLS solid rocket boosters and core stage are jettisoned and give @NASA_Orion the big push needed to fly beyond the Moon before the spacecraft returns to Earth.
To prepare for stacking, teams lifted the @NASA_SLS core stage for the crewed @NASAArtemis II mission out of the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 2 and positioned it horizontally in the transfer aisle.Read more about this operation here: https://go.nasa.gov/3R9yfoD
We're rolling! 🎥Exploration Ground Systems teams are preparing to stack the @NASAArtemis II @NASA_SLS core stage onto mobile launcher 1.Teams repositioned the core stage using self-propelled modular transporters to roll it in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3. Teams have also been staging platforms in the high bay, preparing the cranes for lifting, and ensuring the boosters are ready to receive the core stage.
Over the weekend, Exploration Ground Systems teams stacked the @NASA_SLS core stage for the crewed @NASAArtemis II mission! Read more about this operation here: https://go.nasa.gov/4hGlkFB
After moving the @NASA_SLS core stage north in the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle, teams began lifting it with two of the facility’s overhead cranes, reorienting it into a vertical position. This is called a “breakover.”
Alley-oop!Teams continued to lift the @NASAArtemis II @NASA_SLS core stage in the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle. To cross into the high bay, core stage must clear the 16th level of the building, approximately 190 feet high. Then, teams moved it laterally into High Bay 3 over mobile launcher 1.
Need a boost? 🚀Teams lowered the @NASAArtemis II @NASA_SLS core stage onto mobile launcher 1 between the twin solid rocket boosters. The weight of the core stage is supported by the boosters, attaching with struts at several points. These struts that connect the hardware are also designed to release the spent boosters during flight.
Cross-post to Phillip Sloss' weekly video report on Atriums II
🔌Powered up!⚡ Last week, Exploration Ground Systems teams powered up the @NASAArtemisII @NASA_SLS core stage and solid rocket boosters for the first time. Teams in @NASAKennedy’s Launch Control Center verified the systems and interfaces function between the flight hardware and ground systems, including the engine and booster thrust control systems.
Power up complete! Teams powered up the @NASAArtemis SLS rocket core stage and solid rocket boosters inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building for the first time last week. The test verified the interfaces across the core stage, boosters and ground systems function properly.Read more about our integrated testing here: https://go.nasa.gov/43uSG6G
SLS will continue development for the Artemis II and III missions with current target Launch Readiness Dates of no later than April 2026 for Artemis II
Final Artemis II vehicle integration is planned with Orion integration onto SLS in the VAB. Following final integration of Orion onto SLS in the VAB, the fully assembled vehicle will undergo final testing and preparation for launch. A tanking test at Pad 39B will be used test out updated tanking procedures, the integrated tanking system, and the new Pad B liquid hydrogen sphere.
For the Artemis II launch, EGS will conduct the rollout for the tanking test, landing and recovery operations, post launch operations at the pad, and crew module de-servicing at the Multi-Payload Processing Facility. EGS will support the Orion and SLS integration scheduled for October 2025 to prepare for the fully stacked roll to pad tanking test. Following this test, the emergency egress demo will occur with the crew before the terminal countdown demonstration test occurs in the LCC.
