Artemis II Countdown: Astronauts and Orion Ready for Moon Flyby

At the NASA Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, preparations for the Artemis II mission re progressing rapidly. In an official blog post, NASA shared updates on the mission’s progress as teams continue to work around the clock.

The NASA Artemis II Mission Is Taking Shape

In preparation for the Artemis II launch next year, engineers at NASA are currently moving preparations into their final stages. Soon, integration and testing of all SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft elements will commence.

The SLS upper stage has been connected to the rest of the rocket, which is currently fully assembled.

Also, the team has moved Orion from its assembly facility to its fuelling site at the Multi-Payload Processing Facility.

Once fuelling is complete, the four astronauts to embark on this mission around the Moon will then step into the Orion spacecraft. This will be the first time the astronauts board the Orion spacecraft in full spacesuits to test the equipment on board.

Following this equipment test, preparations will proceed to the next phase. In this phase, the Orion spacecraft will make its way to Kennedy’s Launch Abort System Facility for the fitting of its critical escape system.

The last preparation that NASA identifies is moving Orion to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where it will be integrated with its launch rocket. Orion is already out of its Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Facility at Kennedy, marking another step forward in launch preparations.

The Crew Preparations For The NASA Artemis II Mission

The NASA Artemis II mission will play a critical role in NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration plans sending four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth.

In April, all crew members participated in a simulated liftoff and manual piloting test for the first time. They have also all gone through long-duration fit checks to ensure that their spacesuits and seats are fully functional for the mission.

This month, the crew will “begin participating in pre-launch operations and training for emergency scenarios during launch operations at Kennedy.” Next month, recovery teams will start preparations for emergencies “in the case of a pad or ascent abort off the coast of Florida, with launch and flight control teams supporting.”
With preparations advancing steadily, Artemis II is on track for launch next year.