Crew members and backup members for NASA’s Artemis II mission and teams from the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program participate in emergency egress training at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Teams trained with the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, inside the launch pad terminus area, where the emergency egress baskets carrying the astronauts and flight crew will arrive following their safe exit from the mobile launcher. Originally designed for military applications, the 45,000-pound MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they must get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
Crew members and backup members for NASA’s Artemis II mission and teams from the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program participate in emergency egress training at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. From left, Andre Douglas, NASA’s Artemis II backup crew member; CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons, Artemis II backup crew member; NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot; NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander; NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist; and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist sit in the back of a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP. Originally designed for military applications, the 45,000-pound MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they must get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman participates in training with teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Wiseman and fellow Artemis II crew members and backup members trained with the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, inside the launch pad area. Originally designed for military applications, the 45,000-pound MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they must get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman participates in training with teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Wiseman and fellow Artemis II crew members and backup members trained with the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, inside the launch pad area. Originally designed for military applications, the 45,000-pound MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they must get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
From left, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, and Artemis II pilot Victor Glover participate in training at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Glover and fellow Artemis II crew members and backup members trained with the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, inside the launch pad area. Originally designed for military applications, the 45,000-pound MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they must get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
NASA astronaut Victor Glover participates in emergency egress training with teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Glover and fellow Artemis II crew members and backup members trained with the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, inside the launch pad area. Originally designed for military applications, the 45,000-pound MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they must get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
Multiple 45,000-pound mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, participate in a series of integrated system verification and validation tests inside at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Originally designed for military applications, the MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they have to get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
Construction workers assess the repairs needed on the surface of Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 22, 2019. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
Constructions workers are busy repairing the concrete on the surface of Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 22, 2019. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
Artemis II backup crew member, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons, participates in the Artemis II emergency egress demonstration, which is one of the integrated system verification and validation tests taking place at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
NASA’s pad rescue team learn about the Orion Crew Survival Suit ahead of the Artemis II emergency egress demonstration, which is one of the integrated system verification and validation tests taking place at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. In the event of an emergency during launch countdown, the pad rescue team is there to help personnel leave the launch pad if needed.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, as well as NASA’s pad rescue team, conduct training inside the Artemis emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B as part of the Artemis emergency egress demonstration training at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.
A construction worker sands a section of a wood beam on the surface of Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 22, 2019. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, including an astronaut stand-in, participate in a series of integrated system verification and validation tests inside a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Originally designed for military applications, the 45,000-pound MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they have to get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
To continue his work, a construction worker secures clamps on a section of metal on the surface of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 26, 2018. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Construction workers stage parts and equipment nearby Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 22, 2019. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson participates in an Artemis II classroom training on the Artemis emergency egress system with teams from the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program and others on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Teams are training for the Artemis emergency egress demonstration as part of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to ensure teams are ready for launch.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, as well as NASA’s pad rescue team, conduct training inside the Artemis emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B as part of the Artemis emergency egress demonstration training at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, as well as NASA’s pad rescue team, conduct training inside the Artemis emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B as part of the Artemis emergency egress demonstration training at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.
Construction workers stage parts and equipment nearby Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 22, 2019. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
NASA’s pad rescue team learn about the Orion Crew Survival Suit ahead of the Artemis II emergency egress demonstration, which is one of the integrated system verification and validation tests taking place at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. In the event of an emergency during launch countdown, the pad rescue team is there to help personnel leave the launch pad if needed.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, as well as NASA’s pad rescue team, conduct training inside the Artemis emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B as part of the Artemis emergency egress demonstration training at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.
Construction workers stage parts and equipment nearby Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 22, 2019. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
NASA’s pad rescue team learn about the Orion Crew Survival Suit ahead of the Artemis II emergency egress demonstration, which is one of the integrated system verification and validation tests taking place at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. In the event of an emergency during launch countdown, the pad rescue team is there to help personnel leave the launch pad if needed.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Artemis II backup crew members, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons and NASA astronaut Andre Douglas participate in one of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests inside the emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.
A construction worker welds a section of metal on the surface of Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 22, 2019. The launch pad has undergone upgrades and modifications to accommodate NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions. Upgrades include new heat-resistant bricks on the walls of the flame trench and installation of a new flame deflector. All of the upgrades have been managed by Exploration Ground Systems.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
One of several Praxair trucks carrying its load of liquid oxygen, or LO2, is in route to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The truck will offload LO2 slowly into a giant storage sphere located at the northwest corner of the pad to gradually chill it down from normal temperature to about negative 298 degrees Fahrenheit, during the first major integrated operation to prepare for the launch of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to pad B to support the launch of the SLS and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1, deep space missions and NASA’s journey to Mars.
Technicians are shown at NASA’s Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida in Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, with one of two side flame deflectors that will be used to support NASA’s Artemis II launch. Each side flame deflector has two pillar-like extensible columns which are jacked into place to help support mobile launcher 1 when the vehicle is being fueled. During liftoff, the flame deflectors help contain the plume of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket down into the flame trench.
Progress continues on the new flame trench at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Construction workers with J.P. Donovan of Rockledge, Florida, are on an elevated work stand to install new heat-resistant bricks on the north side of the flame trench. The Pad B flame trench is being refurbished to support the launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at Kennedy is helping transform the space center into a multi-user spaceport and prepare for Exploration Mission 1, deep space missions, and NASA's Journey to Mars. For more information about GSDO, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/groundsystems.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepare to move mobile launcher 1 atop the agency’s crawler-transporter 2 from Launch Complex 39B to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. The crawler recently reached 2,500 miles traveling to the launch pad since its construction in 1965. The mobile launcher has been at the launch pad since August 2023 undergoing upgrades and tests in preparation for NASA’s Artemis II mission. The mobile launcher will be used to assemble, process, and launch NASA’s SLS (Space Launch Systems) and Orion spacecraft to the Moon and beyond.
At Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is used to move one of the large segments of the support hardware for a new flame deflector and position it in the flame trench. The new flame deflector will be positioned about six feet south of the shuttle-era flame deflector’s position. During liftoff of NASA’s Space Launch System, the rocket’s flame and energy will be diverted to the north side of the flame trench. The north side of the deflector will be protected by a NASA standard coating. The south side of the deflector will not be slanted and will have no lining. The new design will provide easier access for inspection, maintenance and repair. The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at Kennedy is managing the installation of the flame deflector for Exploration Mission 1, deep space missions, and NASA's Journey to Mars.
Artemis II astronauts, from left, NASA astronaut Victor Glover (left), CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman stand on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The test ensures the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day.
Progress on the new brick walls of the north side of the flame trench at Launch Pad 39B is seen in a view from the top of the pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Construction workers with J.P. Donovan of Rockledge, Florida, continue to install new heat-resistant bricks on the concrete walls. The Pad B flame trench is being refurbished to support the launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at Kennedy is helping transform the space center into a multi-user spaceport and prepare for Exploration Mission 1, deep-space missions, and the journey to Mars. For more information about GSDO, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/groundsystems.
A view of the Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 30, 2022. The SLS and Orion were transported to the pad on crawler-transporter 2 for a prelaunch test called a wet dress rehearsal. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Standing atop the mobile launcher, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft can be seen at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 18, 2022. The Artemis I stack was carried from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad – a 4.2-mile journey that took nearly 11 hours to complete – by the agency’s crawler-transporter 2 for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed launch. Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, arrives at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to observe the first major tanking operation of liquid oxygen, or LO2, into the giant storage sphere at the northwest corner of the pad to prepare for the launch of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. During the operation, several Praxair trucks will slowly offload LO2 to gradually chill down the sphere from normal temperature to about negative 298 degrees Fahrenheit. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to pad B to support the launch of the SLS and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1, deep space missions and NASA’s journey to Mars.
Artemis II NASA astronaut Christina Koch stands on the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20, to test the crew timeline for launch day.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, simulated flight crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
Build-up of a new liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tank is in progress on Oct. 1, 2019, at Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The new tank will hold 1.25 million gallons of usable LH2 to support future launches from the pad, including Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
NASA astronaut candidate Anil Menon poses for a photograph in front of NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on the pad at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 2, 2022. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Members of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Fire Rescue team conduct a series of trial scenarios in a mock-up of a launch pad escape basket on Feb. 19, 2020. Kennedy’s prime contractor Reynolds, Smith and Hill presented the mock-up to NASA, Kennedy Fire Rescue personnel and other stakeholders at the Florida spaceport. The basket would be utilized at Launch Pad 39B in the unlikely event of an emergency at the pad requiring evacuation during crewed missions under the Artemis Program. The actual egress basket will be designed larger than ones used during the shuttle era in order to accommodate fire rescue crew, astronauts and closeout crew. During the presentation, items such as basket release location, seat depth to accommodate firefighters in full gear, sequence of loading and more were addressed. Engineers will take what they learned during this presentation and discussion to advance the design of the pad egress system.
A lightning strike is recorded at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in May 2011. The event was captured by high-speed cameras stationed at the pad and mobile launcher. At pad 39B, there are three, 600-foot-tall masts with overhead wires used to transmit electrical energy around the perimeter of the pad to provide lightning protection for launch vehicles as they are processed and launched from the pad.
Astronauts and astronaut candidates from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency pose for a photograph in front of NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on the pad at Launch Complex 39B on Aug. 28, 2022. The astronauts are, from left to right: Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut; Joshua Kutryk, Canadian Space Agency astronaut; Zena Cardman, NASA astronaut; Jack Hathaway, NASA astronaut candidate; Christina Birch, NASA astronaut candidate; Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut; Jessica Wittner, NASA astronaut candidate; Joe Acaba, NASA astronaut; Andre Douglas, NASA astronaut candidate; Kate Rubins, NASA astronaut; Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency astronaut; Stephanie Wilson, NASA astronaut; Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut; Don Pettit, NASA astronaut; Chris Williams, NASA astronaut candidate; Victor Glover, NASA astronaut; Shannon Walker, NASA astronaut; Stan Love, NASA astronaut. Artemis I is scheduled to launch Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Praxair trucks carrying their loads of liquid oxygen, or LO2, are on their way to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The trucks will offload LO2 slowly into a giant storage sphere located at the northwest corner of the pad to gradually chill it down from normal temperature to about negative 298 degrees Fahrenheit, during the first major integrated operation to prepare for the launch of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to pad B to support the launch of the SLS and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1, deep space missions and NASA’s journey to Mars.
Artemis II NASA astronauts (left to right) Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen stand in the white room on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. The test ensures the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
A flow test of the Ignition Overpressure Protection and Sound Suppression water deluge system is in progress at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Oct. 15, 2018. At peak flow, the water reaches about 100 feet in the air above the pad surface. It flows at high speed from a holding tank through new and modified piping and valves, the flame trench, flame deflector nozzles and mobile launcher interface risers. The testing is part of Exploration Ground System's preparation for the new Space Launch System rocket. Modifications were made to the pad after a previous wet flow test, increasing the performance of the system. During the launch of Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions, this water deluge system will release about 450,000 gallons of water across the mobile launcher and Flame Deflector to reduce the extreme heat and energy generated by the rocket during ignition and liftoff.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher are in view on the pad at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 15, 2022. Liftoff was at 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Seen here is a newly constructed liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tank at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 1, 2021. With construction now complete, teams will focus on painting the tank next. The storage tank, capable of holding 1.25 million gallons of LH2, will be used to support future Artemis missions to the Moon and, eventually, Mars. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term presence in lunar orbit.
An aerial view of Launch Complex 39B with Exploration Ground Systems’ mobile launcher for the Artemis 1 mission on the pad. The mobile launcher, atop crawler-transporter 2, made its final solo trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building on June 27, 2019, and arrived on the surface of pad B on June 28, 2019, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher will remain at the pad over the summer, undergoing final testing and checkouts. Its next roll to the pad will be with the agency’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft in preparation for the launch of Artemis 1.
NASA astronauts and astronaut candidates view NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on the pad at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 2, 2022. The astronauts are, from left to right: Zena Cardman (partially obscured), NASA astronaut; Deniz Burnham and Anil Menon, NASA astronaut candidates; Anne McClain, NASA astronaut; Marcos Berrios, NASA astronaut candidate; and Victor Glover, NASA astronaut. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
An aerial view shows workers preparing the surface of one of the three lightning protection system towers for painting at Exploration Ground Systems’ Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2019. The old paint was removed by the most recent hurricane. Pad 39B is the site of future launches of the agency’s Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft on Artemis missions. The 600-foot-tall lightning towers will help prevent lightning strikes at the pad during prelaunch and launch activities.
A lightning strike is recorded at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 2014. The event was captured by high-speed camera from the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. At pad 39B, there are three, 600-foot-tall masts with overhead wires used to transmit electrical energy around the perimeter of the pad to provide lightning protection for launch vehicles as they are processed and launched from the pad.
An aerial view of Launch Complex 39B with Exploration Ground Systems’ mobile launcher for the Artemis 1 mission on the pad. The mobile launcher, atop crawler-transporter 2, made its final solo trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building on June 27, 2019, and arrived on the surface of pad B on June 28, 2019, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher will remain at the pad over the summer, undergoing final testing and checkouts. Its next roll to the pad will be with the agency’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft in preparation for the launch of Artemis 1.
ML is rolled to Pad 39B
ML is rolled to Pad 39B
NASA Kennedy Space Center’s prime contractor Reynolds, Smith and Hill presents a mock-up of a launch pad escape basket to NASA, Kennedy Fire Rescue personnel and other stakeholders on Feb. 19, 2020. The basket would be utilized at the Florida spaceport’s Launch Pad 39B in the unlikely event of an emergency at the pad requiring evacuation during crewed missions under the Artemis Program. The actual egress basket will be designed larger than ones used during the shuttle era in order to accommodate fire rescue crew, astronauts and closeout crew. During the presentation, a fire rescue team walked through a series of trial scenarios and addressed items such as basket release location, seat depth to accommodate firefighters in full gear, sequence of loading and more.
A wet flow test at Launch Pad 39B on September 13, 2019, tests the sound suppression system that will be used for launch of NASA’s Space Launch System for the Artemis I mission. During the test, about 450,000 gallons of water poured onto the Pad B flame deflector, the mobile launcher flame hole and onto the launcher’s blast deck. This was the first time the ground launch sequencer that will be used on the day of launch was used for the timing of a sound suppression test.
Senior leaders with Kennedy Space Center in Florida, familiarize newly appointed officials from NASA Headquarters with the center’s facilities during a tour on April 19, 2021. The group is on the surface of Launch Complex 39B, where the launch of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will lift off on Artemis missions. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of SLS and Orion and will pave the way for landing the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface. It will be a proving ground for deep space exploration, leading the agency’s efforts under the Artemis program for a sustainable presence on the Moon and preparing for human missions to Mars.
NASA Kennedy Space Center’s prime contractor Reynolds, Smith and Hill presents a mock-up of a launch pad escape basket to NASA, Kennedy Fire Rescue personnel and other stakeholders on Feb. 19, 2020. The basket would be utilized at the Florida spaceport’s Launch Pad 39B in the unlikely event of an emergency at the pad requiring evacuation during crewed missions under the Artemis Program. The actual egress basket will be designed larger than ones used during the shuttle era in order to accommodate fire rescue crew, astronauts and closeout crew. During the presentation, a fire rescue team walked through a series of trial scenarios and addressed items such as basket release location, seat depth to accommodate firefighters in full gear, sequence of loading and more.
The mobile launcher for Artemis missions is at Launch Pad 39B on Sept. 11, 2019, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after spending a week and a half inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) due to the approach of Hurricane Dorian. The nearly 400-foot-tall structure was moved from Launch Pad 39B to the VAB for safekeeping on Aug. 30. The storm passed about 70 miles east of the spaceport during the overnight hours Tuesday, Sept. 3, and Wednesday, Sept. 4. NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems is moving the mobile launcher back to the launch pad, where teams will complete testing and checkout on the launcher in the coming weeks for the Artemis I mission.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
A flow test of the Ignition Overpressure Protection and Sound Suppression water deluge system is in progress at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Oct. 15, 2018. At peak flow, the water reaches about 100 feet in the air above the pad surface. It flows at high speed from a holding tank through new and modified piping and valves, the flame trench, flame deflector nozzles and mobile launcher interface risers. The testing is part of Exploration Ground System's preparation for the new Space Launch System rocket. Modifications were made to the pad after a previous wet flow test, increasing the performance of the system. During the launch of Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions, this water deluge system will release about 450,000 gallons of water across the mobile launcher and Flame Deflector to reduce the extreme heat and energy generated by the rocket during ignition and liftoff.
A lightning strike is recorded at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in August 2019. The event was captured by high-speed cameras stationed at the pad and mobile launcher using a special filter called a “clear day frame,” which provides an overlay of the raw frame on a reference image. At pad 39B, there are three, 600-foot-tall masts with overhead wires used to transmit electrical energy around the perimeter of the pad to provide lightning protection for launch vehicles as they are processed and launched from the pad.
A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tank will be lifted and rotated for delivery to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.
Launch Complex 39B current and past NASA and contractor workers gathered at pad B to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch complex at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Upgrades to the surface of pad B, as well as the systems below and surrounding the pad will support the new processing and launch requirements for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft for deep-space missions, including the journey to Mars. The modifications and improvements to processing and launch facilities will support Kennedy as a multi-user spaceport for government and commercial launches for years to come. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to Pad 39B.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program – who also suited up as astronauts – practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
A closeup view shows the NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft and launch abort system atop at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen stand in the white room on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. The test ensures the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day.
Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen ride from Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to Launch Pad 39B in the Artemis crew transportation vehicles as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20, to test the crew timeline for launch day.
NASA’s Space Launch System carrying the Orion spacecraft creates a streak of white light as it soars upward after liftoff from the pad at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff occurred at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
A flow test of the Ignition Overpressure Protection and Sound Suppression water deluge system is in progress at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Oct. 15, 2018. At peak flow, the water reaches about 100 feet in the air above the pad surface. It flows at high speed from a holding tank through new and modified piping and valves, the flame trench, flame deflector nozzles and mobile launcher interface risers. The testing is part of Exploration Ground System's preparation for the new Space Launch System rocket. Modifications were made to the pad after a previous wet flow test, increasing the performance of the system. During the launch of Exploration Mission-1 and subsequent missions, this water deluge system will release about 450,000 gallons of water across the mobile launcher and Flame Deflector to reduce the extreme heat and energy generated by the rocket during ignition and liftoff.
At Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, construction workers weld together large segments of the support hardware for a new flame deflector in the flame trench. The new flame deflector will be positioned about six feet south of the shuttle-era flame deflector’s position. During liftoff of NASA’s Space Launch System, the rocket’s flame and energy will be diverted to the north side of the flame trench. The north side of the deflector will be protected by a NASA standard coating. The south side of the deflector will not be slanted and will have no lining. The new design will provide easier access for inspection, maintenance and repair. The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at Kennedy is managing the installation of the flame deflector for Exploration Mission 1, deep space missions, and NASA's Journey to Mars.
The mobile launcher for Artemis missions is at Launch Pad 39B on Sept. 11, 2019, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after spending a week and a half inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) due to the approach of Hurricane Dorian. The nearly 400-foot-tall structure was moved from Launch Pad 39B to the VAB for safekeeping on Aug. 30. The storm passed about 70 miles east of the spaceport during the overnight hours Tuesday, Sept. 3, and Wednesday, Sept. 4. NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems moved the mobile launcher back to the launch pad, where teams will complete testing and checkout on the launcher in the coming weeks for the Artemis I mission.
A lightning strike was recorded at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the evening of April 2, 2022. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft were undergoing a prelaunch test called a wet dress rehearsal at the pad for the Artemis I mission. The lightning strike was recorded by cameras stationed at the pad and mobile launcher using a special filter called a “clear day frame,” which provides an overlay of the raw frame on a reference image. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first woman of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program – who also suited up as astronauts – practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft stand vertical on mobile launcher 1 at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, in preparation for the agency’s Artemis II crewed mission to the Moon, begin installing the first of four emergency egress baskets on the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away.
ML is rolled to Pad 39B
At Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, cranes lower large segments of the support hardware for a new flame deflector into place in the flame trench. Construction workers weld the structures together. The new flame deflector will be positioned about six feet south of the shuttle-era flame deflector’s position. During liftoff of NASA’s Space Launch System, the rocket’s flame and energy will be diverted to the north side of the flame trench. The north side of the deflector will be protected by a NASA standard coating. The south side of the deflector will not be slanted and will have no lining. The new design will provide easier access for inspection, maintenance and repair. The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at Kennedy is managing the installation of the flame deflector for Exploration Mission 1, deep space missions, and NASA's Journey to Mars.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Pad 39B on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, simulated flight crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting inside and out of the emergency egress baskets. While the crew and other personnel will ride the emergency egress baskets to the terminus area in a real emergency, no one rode the baskets for this test. Instead, teams tested the baskets during separate occasions by using water tanks filled to different levels to replicate simulate the weight of passengers.
A side view shows one of the twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters, core stage, Orion spacecraft, and launch abort system of NASA’s Artemis II rocket at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. The Artemis II test flight will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth.
Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jenni Gibbons, who is CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen's backup for the Artemis II crew mission, participates in the Artemis emergency egress demonstration at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Gibbons participated as one of the astronaut support personnel, part of the closeout crew, practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
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.
Liftoff! NASA’s Space Launch System carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off the pad at Launch Complex 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16, 2022. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Build-up of a new liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tank is in progress on Oct. 1, 2019, at Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The new tank will hold 1.25 million gallons of usable LH2 to support future launches from the pad, including Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
Astronauts and astronaut candidates from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency pose for a photograph in front of NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on the pad at Launch Complex 39B on Aug. 28, 2022. The astronauts are, from left to right: Christina Birch, NASA astronaut candidate; Joe Acaba, NASA astronaut; Don Pettit, NASA astronaut; Victor Glover, NASA astronaut; Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut; Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency astronaut; Stan Love, NASA astronaut; Jack Hathaway, NASA astronaut candidate; Shannon Walker, NASA astronaut; Andre Douglas, NASA astronaut candidate; Kate Rubins, NASA astronaut; Chris Williams, NASA astronaut candidate; Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut; Stephanie Wilson, NASA astronaut; Jessica Wittner, NASA astronaut candidate; Zena Cardman, NASA astronaut; Joshua Kutryk, Canadian Space Agency astronaut; Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut. Artemis I is scheduled to launch Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, standing atop the mobile launcher, arrive at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 18, 2022, for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. In view is the crawler-transporter 2, which carried the Artemis I stack from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad – a 4.2-mile journey that took nearly 11 hours to complete. Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Teams with Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida continue to work the upgrades and repairs on mobile launcher 1 and Launch Pad 39B on June 13, 2023, ahead of the first critical ground testing for Artemis II. Construction is nearly complete on the additional 1.4-million-gallon liquid hydrogen sphere used for propellant loading. Having two liquid hydrogen spheres at the pad allows teams to minimize time between launch attempts for resupplying liquid hydrogen. When completed, workers will test the new tank as part of the verification and validation testing. Artemis II will be the first Artemis mission flying crew aboard Orion.