NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the agency’s massive SLS (Space Launch System) core stage, arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Complex 39 turn basin wharf in Florida on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, after journeying from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The core stage is the next piece of Artemis hardware to arrive at the spaceport and will be offloaded and moved to NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be prepared for integration ahead of the Artemis II launch. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage for the Artemis II mission arrived on Tuesday, July 23, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The core stage will help power SLS when it launches four astronauts around the Moon for the first crewed flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II test flight.
The core stage, aboard NASA’s Pegasus barge, traveled from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and spent seven days coasting through the Gulf of Mexico and then the Atlantic Ocean before arriving at NASA Kennedy’s Complex 39 turn basin wharf.
The 212-foot-tall SLS core stage, its propellant tanks, avionics, flight computer systems, and four RS-25 engines, were manufactured and assembled at NASA Michoud. Now, teams with NASA Kennedy’s Exploration Ground Systems Program will prepare the rocket stage for integration ahead of launch.
The only rocket that can send the Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon on a single launch is the Space Launch System. Its core stage provides more than two million pounds of thrust and the whole rocket provides 8.8 million pounds of thrust to launch Artemis II to the Moon.
Up next, the core stage will roll to NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where teams will process it until it is ready for rocket stacking operations.
Follow the livestream of the core stage offload online expected to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems conducts a water flow test with the mobile launcher at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B in Florida on Oct. 24, 2023. It is the third in a series of tests to verify the overpressure protection and sound suppression system is ready for launch of the Artemis II mission. During liftoff, 400,000 gallons of water will rush onto the pad to help protect NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, Orion spacecraft, mobile launcher, and launch pad from any over pressurization and extreme sound produced during ignition and liftoff. Photo Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program successfully completed tests of the ignition overpressure protection and sound suppression and launch cooling systems at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These systems will protect the mobile launcher umbilicals and other crucial ground systems during liftoff of the Artemis II mission.
When SLS’s (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters ignite, the RS-25 engines start up, and the rocket comes to life, there will be a thundering amount of noise, heat, and energy produced at liftoff. To ensure the crew, SLS, the Orion spacecraft and the surrounding ground infrastructure are protected during launch, teams practiced releasing approximately 400,000 gallons of water from large overhead holding tanks onto the mobile launcher and the pad’s flame deflector. The water will provide protection from the extreme heat generated by SLS’s exhaust and help suppress the sound produced at liftoff.
Recent upgrades to the mobile launcher were designed to enhance the performance of these systems and assure better launch imagery. Some of the upgrades include:
New water balancing plates on the mobile launcher and pad piping to allow higher water flow rates
Redesigned rainbird water nozzles to allow increased water flow rates and improved mobile launcher deck water coverage
New hydrogen burn-off ignitor and camera water barriers for protection from the increased mobile launcher deck water flow
Raised camera housings and additional splash shields around the lenses to maximize amount of video obtained during launch
Adding additional levels on the mobile launcher to protect the emergency egress baskets and pilot line hoist motors
The water flows were conducted as part of a series of integrated ground systems tests intended to confirm that various systems on the mobile launcher and at Launch Pad 39B work as intended, both individually and with each other.
The Artemis II mission builds on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I mission and will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed for missions to the Moon and beyond. The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and confirm the spacecraft systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the environment of deep space.
Technicians used a 30-ton crane to lift NASA’s Orion spacecraft on Friday, June 28, 2024, from the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell to the altitude chamber inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft, which will be used for the Artemis II mission to orbit the Moon, underwent leak checks and end-to-end performance verification of the vehicle’s subsystems.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission was lifted out of the Final Assembly and System Testing cell on June 28 inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The integrated spacecraft 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 vacuum chamber qualification testing. The tests will subject the spacecraft 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.
Testing will span approximately a week, with technicians collecting data from the spacecraft’s chamber, cabin, and the environmental control and life support system to test spacesuit functionality. 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.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program successfully tested the upgraded environmental control system on mobile launcher 1 while it’s at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for Artemis II. This system provides air supply, thermal control, and pressurization to SLS (Space Launch System) and the Orion spacecraft during cryogenic propellant loading.
During propellant loading, the environmental control system purges specific compartments within Orion and SLS using gaseous nitrogen to maintain the proper environmental conditions. This is critical, as the rocket and spacecraft must be in a safe and stable configuration and temperature when dealing with hazardous gasses. The severtal-week test, which started April 17, was conducted in two parts. Teams first started flowing air through the system and then followed by flowing gaseous nitrogen.
This marks the next set of tests complete for EGS teams as part of the integrated system verification and validation testing in preparation for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back next year.
The testing puts the team and ground infrastructures to work and ensures each are functioning properly and allows the team to update and refine procedures ahead of launch. Part of this series includes testing the launch pad’s environmental control system, the emergency egress system, the ignition overpressure protection and sound suppression system, among others.
After completing electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing, the Artemis II Orion spacecraft is returned to the FAST cell via crane inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo credit: Amanda Stevenson
On Friday, April 26, engineers completed a series of electromagnetic tests on the integrated Orion crew and service module for NASA’s Artemis II mission inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
During testing, engineers subjected the spacecraft to electromagnetic energy using wave guides, amplifiers, and antenna horns while inside an altitude chamber.
The test helps verify that all of Orion’s electronic systems can work in sync and safeguards against potential malfunctions caused by electromagnetic disturbances in the harsh and complex environment of space. Engineers will analyze the data collected during testing to ensure all systems on Orion are not disturbed by electromagnetic energy and the spacecraft is ready to safely fly the crew around the Moon.
The team returned the spacecraft to the Final Assembly and System Testing, or FAST cell inside the O&C building following electromagnetic testing for additional work in preparation for further performance testing inside the vacuum chamber later this summer.
On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission lifted off on a Saturn V rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centerin Florida. Crowds gathered with their eyes craned toward the sky, asNASA set out to make history with their next giant leap – landing astronauts on the Moon.
One historical member watching the launch, JoAnn Morgan, instrumentation controller for Apollo 11, and the only female in the firing room inside NASA’s Launch Control Center.
Members of the Kennedy Space Center government-industry team rise from their consoles within the Launch Control Center to watch the Apollo 11 liftoff through a window. JoAnn Morgan is seated to the left of center in the third row. Photo credit: NASA
“I look at that picture of the firing room where I’m the only woman. And I hope all the pictures now that show people working on the missions to the Moon and onto Mars, in rooms like mission Control or launch Control or wherever — that there will always be several women. I hope that photos like the ones I’m in don’t exist anymore,” said Morgan.
NASA is hard at work 55 years later returning astronauts to the Moon with the Artemiscampaign which will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon – and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. With these new missions supporting lunar exploration, Morgan’s hope for several women in the STEM field is coming true.
Today, in that very same room where Morgan once sat as the only female engineer, dozens of women sit on console preparing to launch the mighty SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the Moon for Artemis II. The room itself is not only full of a diverse group of engineers, but leading the team to liftoff is NASA’s first female Launch Director, Charlie Blackwell Thompson.
The women of Artemis launch team pose for a photo wearing green for “go” inside the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
This Women’s History Month, female leaders within the space industry met at NASA Kennedy to reflect on what mentorship means to them.
“JoAnn, you did show us, whether you knew it at the time or not, that we belong in this room,” Blackwell-Thompson said. “Because of the work you did all those years ago, you made it possible for me.”
The leaders meeting shared their thoughts on ways women can lead in the space industry.
Sharing is caring Sharing is the basis of mentorship. Share your experiences either as a guiding tool or a lesson learned.
An attitude of gratitude We grow stronger when we grow together. Shine the light their way and give them a moment in the sun. A sense of gratitude and encouragement amongst others can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of the team.
Stepping up to the plate How can you be a person of action?
Growing pains are good Just like physical growing pains, experiencing uncomfortableness in your career can be a sign of growth. Outperformance will feel uncomfortable. Trying something new will feel uncomfortable.Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Define how others view you Deliver on your word. Do the right thing when nobody is looking. Be the person you would want on your team.
Leadership is not defined by your title Rise to the challenge within your everyday activities. Inspire those around you and offer a helping hand when it is needed. You can embody all of the characteristics of someone who leads long before you have the words manager, supervisor, or director in your official title.
Identify your board of advisors Just like any company trying to grow, your career deserves a board of advisors to grow. Create a space where you can talk your career navigation. Your board of advisors can change over periods of time and take shape in formal or informal relationships.
Bet on yourself At every stage in your career, you hold power. Ask for a new challenge, the power to say no, and the power to ask for help.
Surround yourself with the best of the best Teams can only be the best of the best when they include diverse thought. Be mindful of who you can collaborate with that will bring ideas unique from yours.
Make your mistakes matter What did you learn? What can you teach others? How will this mistake lead you in the future?
The work NASA does today, wouldn’t be possible without the mentors who have blazed the trail before. NASA Kennedy Center DirectorJanet Petro shares the importance of this teamwork, reminding us, “We are not doing any of this work for just ourselves, it is for the bigger goals of the agency and humanity.”
Odysseus’ landing captured a leg, as it performed its primary task, absorbing first contact with the lunar surface. With the lander’s liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine still throttling, it provided stability. Credit: Intuitive Machines
NASA and Intuitive Machines co-hosted a news conference on Feb. 28 to provide a status update on the six NASA instruments that collected data on the IM-1 mission.
Mission challenges and successes were discussed during the briefing including more than 350 megabits of science data downloaded ready for analysis. During transit, all powered NASA payloads operated and received data. During descent and landing, guidance and navigation data was collected that will help improve landing precision in the future, and all three payloads that were designed to operate on the surface have received data.
The first images from the lunar surface are now available and showcase the orientation of the lander along with a view of the South Pole region on the Moon. Intuitive Machines believes the two actions captured in one of their images enabled Odysseus to gently lean into the lunar surface, preserving the ability to return scientific data. After successfully transmitting the image to Earth, there is additional insight into Odysseus’ position on the lunar surface.
On Feb. 22, NASA science instruments and technology on board Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, called Odysseus, landed on the Moon’s South Pole region, marking the United States’ first return since Apollo 17. This was also the first landing as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative — transmitting valuable science data of each NASA payload from the lunar surface.
Additional updates can be found by watching the news conference here.
Taken on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Odysseus captured an image using its narrow-field-of-view camera. Credit: Intuitive Machines
Carrying NASA science and technology to the Moon, Intuitive Machines’ uncrewed lunar lander touched down at 5:23 p.m. CST on Thursday. The instruments aboard Odysseus will prepare NASA for future human exploration of the Moon under Artemis. Additional updates will be available Friday, Feb. 23.
After a successful lunar orbit insertion, Odysseus is currently orbiting the Moon, approximately 12 miles above the lunar surface. Carrying six NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations, the Intuitive Machines lander is expected to land at 6:24 p.m. EST near Malapert A in the south polar region of the Moon. Watch now on NASA+, NASA TV, and the agency’s website.
Over the last seven days as the mission has travelled from the Earth to the Moon, all powered NASA science instruments have completed their transit checkouts, collected data, and are operating as expected. Flight controllers will continue to analyze the data collected and monitor the payloads to inform preparations for landing.
The remaining lunar descent milestones include the following. All times are approximate:
NASA science is taking another orbit around the Moon. Flight controllers chose to complete an additional orbit before beginning the IM-1 Mission landing sequence. The updated landing time is 6:24 pm. EST.
NASA coverage of the mission will begin at 5 p.m. on NASA+, NASA TV, and the agency’s website.
