Artemis II Orion spacecraft positioned for 2026 lunar flyby

USA: Artemis II Orion spacecraft positioned for 2026 lunar flyby

Mission Overview

The next crewed lunar mission is scheduled for early 2026, featuring a 10‑day orbit around the Moon and return to Earth. Four astronauts will travel aboard Orion, which has been mounted on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Kennedy Space Center.

Stacking Process Completed

On Oct. 20 2025, Orion with its launch abort system was hoisted into High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS core stage. The stacking marks the final major assembly step before rollout to the launch pad.

Crew Composition

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Together they will conduct the first crewed flight of the Artemis program.

Planned Flight Profile

The mission will launch from Launch Complex 39B, perform a trans‑lunar injection, fly past the Moon, and return to Earth after approximately ten days. The flight will validate Orion’s life‑support, navigation, and re‑entry systems in deep‑space conditions.

Artemis Program Context

Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight and precedes the planned Artemis III landing on the lunar surface. Successful completion of this crewed test is required to certify the integrated SLS‑Orion system for future surface missions.

Technical Highlights

The SLS configuration used is Block 1, delivering about 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Orion’s launch abort system, designed to pull the crew module away from the rocket in an emergency, was exercised during the stacking verification.

Future Implications

Data gathered from the Artemis II flight will inform hardware upgrades and operational procedures for subsequent Artemis missions, including the first crewed lunar landing slated for later in the decade.

Dieser Bericht basiert auf Informationen von NASA, lizenziert unter Public Domain (U.S. Government Work).