As 2026 approaches, NASA continues to move forward with launches and flights. Artemis IIthe first crewed mission of the Artemis campaign, no later than April next year.
NASA's Orion spacecraft, with its launch abort system abort tower, is now integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following Orion's integration, teams completed testing of critical communications systems between SLS and Orion and confirmed proper operation of interfaces between the rocket, Orion and ground systems, including end-to-end testing with the Near Space Network and Deep Space Network, which assist with communications and navigation.
“NASA remains focused on preparing to safely fly four astronauts around the Moon and back,” said Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “Our mission will lay the foundation for future missions to the lunar surface and to Mars.”
In the coming weeks, Artemis II engineers and crew will conduct the first part of the countdown demonstration test at Kennedy, a dress rehearsal for launch day. The crew will don Orion Crew Survival System suits and head to their rocket before ending up inside Orion, which the crew recently named “Integrated,” simulating the final moments of the countdown. Since the rocket and spacecraft are not yet on the launch pad, the crew will board Orion inside the VAB. The test will serve as a final test of the crew and support teams' schedules on the ground. The second part of the test, preparing for a launch pad emergency, will occur after the rocket and spacecraft roll out to Launch Pad 39B.
The Artemis II crew and ground personnel responsible for launch and mission execution are preparing to conduct additional integrated simulations between teams and facilities to prepare for any scenario that may arise as the four-launch crew from Florida completes its roughly 10-day mission.
NASA astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have a busy schedule over the next few months: reviewing procedures for all phases of flight until preparation becomes second nature, practicing various mission scenarios and maintaining familiarity with every element of their spacecraft.
Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discoveries, economic benefits and the foundation for the first manned missions to Mars.
