Scott Johnson
October sixth, 2023
The Artemis 1 House Launch System (SLS) rocket at Kennedy House Middle’s (KSC) Launch Pad 39B, on the morning of March 18, 2022. Credit score: Scott Johnson / Spaceflight Insider
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Late final yr, NASA successfully launched its first House Launch System rocket, propelling an uncrewed Orion capsule on a flight to a distant retrograde orbit across the Moon. That was Artemis 1.
Subsequent up is Artemis 2 — the primary SLS flight to launch a crewed Orion capsule on a free-return flight around the Moon.
Artemis 2 crew and Orion Crew Capsule at KSC’s O&C on August 8, 2023. Credit score Scott Johnson / Spaceflight Insider
Throughout an August briefing on the company’s Kennedy House Middle, Jim Free, NASA’s affiliate administrator for Exploration Techniques Growth, stated Artemis 2 was operating a “variety of weeks” delayed. However for now, the previously announced November 2024 target launch date stays unchanged.
Then, there’s Artemis 3 — the SLS/Orion flight slated to return people to the floor of the Moon utilizing a lander offered by SpaceX.
Artemis 3 is scheduled for launch in late 2025. Nevertheless, in the identical August briefing, Free defined that SpaceX had appreciable work to do on the lander and {that a} completely different mission may very well be flown if the lander isn’t prepared.
Right here’s a rundown on the present state of the Artemis 2 and three missions and related {hardware}:
Artemis 2
Crew: The crew of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen was announced April 3, 2023, and are currently in training.
Orion crew module: Positioned within the Neil Amstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Constructing at KSC. The heat shield was installed June 25, 2023, and weight and center of gravity testing was lately accomplished.
Artemis 2 European Service Module at KSC Aug. 8, 2023. Credit score: Scott Johnson / Spaceflight Insider
In August, Luis Saucedo, NASA’s deputy supervisor for the Crew and Service Module Workplace, advised Spaceflight Insider the crew and repair modules, collectively, had been roughly 85% full. He additionally acknowledged that NASA and Lockheed Martin (the first contractor for Orion) are nonetheless investigating uneven charring to the Artemis 1 Orion heatshield, however as of but, no adjustments have been made to the Artemis 2 heatshield.
Jim Free defined that the heatshield is the biggest “open-item” from Artemis 1, however NASA and Lockheed Martin hope to reach on the root trigger and attain a closing disposition by April 2023.
Orion Stage Adapter (OSA): This half connects the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) to Orion. Per an e mail from Marshall House Flight Middle (MSFC): “The Artemis II Orion stage adapter is in closing meeting at [MSFC] and [is] pending completion later this fall. Primarily based on the stacking schedule, will probably be flown by way of NASA’s Tremendous Guppy airplane from [MSFC] to [KSC] in the identical timeframe because the ICPS for Artemis [2] is transferred for stacking operations, at the moment slated for spring 2024.”
European Service Module (ESM): The ESM sits instantly beneath Orion within the SLS stack and supplies main propulsion and life assist for the crew module. It’s constructed by Airbus in Bremen, Germany.
Artemis 2’s ESM arrived at KSC in October 2021 and formally handed over from the European Space Agency to NASA on June 14, 2023.
Located in the KSC O&C, the adapter ring for attaching the crew module, has been put in, and the module awaits integration with the crew module.
Launch Car Stage Adapter (LVSA): This partially encloses the ICPS and connects it to the core stage beneath and the OSA above.
Artemis 2 core stage at MAF with all RS-25 engines mounted. Credit score: Eric Bordelon / NASA
Per an e mail from MSFC: The “Artemis [2] LVSA is full and in storage [at MSFC]. It is going to ship[ed] by way of NASA’s Pegasus barge from [MSFC] to [KSC] when NASA’s Exploration Floor Techniques [(EGS)] group is able to put together it for stacking operations, at the moment slated for no early than spring 2024.”
ICPS: That is the higher stage for the Block 1 SLS rocket. It was used for Artemis 1 and can be used for Artemis 2 and three.
The prepare with the ten strong rocket booster segments for the Artemis 2 mission makes its means by way of japanese Kansas Sept. 21. Credit score: Derek Richardson / Spaceflight Insider
It’s constructed by United Launch Alliance (ULA) in Decatur, Alabama, and delivered to KSC in 2021. The ICPS was in storage at KSC until April 2023, and is undergoing preflight testing at KSC.
Core stage: Positioned at NASA’s Michoud Meeting Facility (MAF) close to New Orleans. Earlier this yr, the 5 main constructions/segments had been built-in. As of Sept. 20, 2023, all four RS-25 engines are soft-mounted to the stage.
Per Jim Free, the core stage is scheduled for completion within the Fall of 2023 and needs to be shipped from MAF to KSC in November 2023. Free stated the stage must be delivered to KSC by February 2024 as to not have an effect on the Artemis 2 important path.
Stable Rocket Boosters (SRBs): The casting of all booster segments, by Northrop Grumman in Utah, was completed in 2019 and had been delivered, by rail, to KSC on September 25, 2023.
Spacesuits: The Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) go well with, a personalized/modified Shuttle-era Superior Crew Escape Go well with (ACES), manufactured by the David Clark Firm, seems to be prepared for Artemis 2 coaching and launch.
OCSS. Credit score: Scott Johnson / SpaceFlight Insider
Artemis 3
Crew: Not but named and no timing for an announcement has been launched.
Orion crew module: Present process meeting at KSC’s O&C.
Artemis 3 Orion at KSC’s O&C Aug. 8, 2023. Credit score: Scott Johnson / Spaceflight Insider
Orion Stage Adapter (OSA): Per an e mail from MSFC: “The Artemis [3 OSA] is assembled and is at the moment staged at [MSFC]. The OSA diaphragm is scheduled for supply to [MSFC] later this fall and is scheduled for set up in spring 2024.”
European Service Module (ESM): Present process closing integration at Airbus in Bremen, Germany, and scheduled to arrive at KSC later in 2023.
Launch Car Stage Adapter (LVSA): Development accomplished, and the froth insulation / thermal protection was applied at MSFC in late spring 2023.
Per an e mail from MSFC: “The Artemis [3] LVSA is at the moment present process closing integration and frangible joint meeting at [MSFC].”
Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS): Departed ULA’s Decatur, Alabama, factory on Aug. 1, 2023, and arrived at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Poseidon Wharf on Aug. 9, 2023.
The stage will bear closing checkouts by Boeing and ULA previous to supply to KSC.
Core stage: Usually, below meeting at MAF. Nevertheless, the engine part (with out its 4 RS-25 engines) was delivered to KSC, from MAF, on Dec. 10, 2022. It’s being processed at KSC’s Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) and can later be built-in with the rest of the stage and its RS-25s in KSC’s Car Meeting Constructing.
Axiom Artemis 3 spacesuit prototype. The ultimate model will probably be all-white. Credit score: Axiom House
The RS-25 refurbishment / upgrades are complete and the engines are in storage at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, awaiting cargo to KSC.
Stable Rocket Boosters (SRBs): Casting of all segments was completed by Northrup Grumman in 2022 and are in storage in Utah awaiting cargo to KSC.
Spacesuits: The suits for Artemis 3 are to be provided by Axiom Space. In August, Jim Free stated the Artemis 3 spacesuit preliminary design overview was scheduled for October 2023.
Lander: The Artemis 3 lander is to be a variant of SpaceX’s Starship. Nevertheless, there may be concern the lander might not be prepared in time for the late 2025 launch date.
In August, Jim Free defined that SpaceX’s Starship must launch a number of instances previous to Artemis 3, together with a Starship-to-Starship propellant switch mission and an uncrewed demonstration flight.
Free even went as far as to say NASA might fly a distinct Artemis 3 mission (quite than a Moon-landing) if the lander isn’t prepared.
Artist’s idea of Artemis 3 SpaceX Starship lunar lander. Credit score: SpaceX
Scott Johnson
Scott earned each a Bachelor’s Diploma in public administration, and a legislation diploma, from Samford College in Birmingham, Alabama. He at the moment practices legislation within the Birmingham suburb of Homewood. Scott first remembers visiting Marshall House Flight Middle in 1978 to get an up-close have a look at the primary orbiter, Enterprise, which had been transported to Huntsville for dynamic testing. Extra lately, in 2006, he participated in an effort at america House and Rocket Middle (USSRC) to revive the long-neglected Skylab 1-G Coach. This led to a volunteer place, with the USSRC curator, the place he labored for a number of years sustaining displays and archival materials, together with flown area {hardware}.
Scott attended the STS – 110, 116 and 135 shuttle launches, together with Ares I-X, Atlas V MSL and Delta IV NROL-15 launches. Extra lately, he coated the Atlas V SBIRS GEO-2 and MAVEN launches, together with the Antares ORB-1, SpaceX CRS-3, and Orion EFT-1 launches.
