For most, getting into a car is a task that can be accomplished without assistance. However, for those whose destination is the Moon, the process of getting inside and securing it—in this case, on NASA's Orion spacecraft—requires assistance. This is the role of the Artemis crew.
Trained to provide support Artemis II and future missions to the Moon, the five final leg crew members will be the last people to see NASA astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen before their journey to the Moon.
The Artemis II closing team includes presenter Taylor Howes; assistant astronaut, astronaut Andre Douglas; one technician specially trained to work with the Orion crew survival suits, Bill Owens; and two Orion technicians, Christian Warriner and Ricky Ebo.
Taylor Howes
Artemis II Closure Team Leader
Think of them as a race car crew.
When will the astronauts arrive on launch day? Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the closure team will already be on site. First, the team will help astronauts put on helmets and gloves before entering space. Orion spacecraft.
Once inside, Owens and Douglas will help each crew member buckle up, but instead of using just one seat belt like in a car, the crew will need several more complex connections. Each seat includes five straps to secure astronauts inside the crew module and several additional connections to environmental control and life support systems and on-board communication system.
Once the astronauts are secured, hatch technicians will begin closing the spacecraft hatch. Unlike a car door, which opens and closes easily with the touch of a handle, the Orion's sunroof requires more effort to close securely.
“The hatch is pneumatically operated, so we need to connect air lines to it, and to close it, we need the help of the ground support system,” Jose said.
On launch day, it will take about four hours for the crew to position themselves inside Orion and complete the closure process, including zipping up the crew module hatch and the external launch abort system hatch. Even one strand of hair inside the hatch doors can potentially cause problems with closing any hatch, so the process is done carefully.
“We have a lot of work to do just with the seals – lubrication, cleaning, removing the hatch cover – and then we move on to closing the crew module hatch,” Jose said. “So after closing the hatch, we remove the window coverings, install heat shield panels, and remove the purge barrier between the vehicle and the lancet panels that help protect the crew module during launch and recovery.”
The team then closes the launch abort system hatch and completes final preparations before launch. After closing the abort system hatch, the shutdown team leaves the launch pad but remains nearby in case they have to return for any reason.
Taylor Howes
Artemis II Closure Team Leader
Following launch, several team members will travel to San Diego to assist with post-splashdown activities following the mission's completion.
As part of the Golden Age of Innovation and Exploration, the Artemis II test flight is the first crewed flight of NASA's Artemis Campaign. It's another step toward new U.S. crewed missions to the lunar surface that will help the agency prepare to send the first American astronauts to Mars.
