The transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis III mission arrives at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. The European Service Module, which is assembled by Airbus in Bremen, Germany, from parts made in 10 European countries and the United States, acts as the driving force behind Orion for deep space exploration, providing essential propulsion, thermal control, and electrical power.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for installation on the Artemis I spacecraft, technicians have extended one of the Artemis I solar array wings for inspection on Sept. 10, 2020, to confirm that it unfurled properly and all of the mechanisms functioned as expected. The solar array is one of four panels that will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed inside the Final Assembly and System Testing cell at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 15, 2024. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through the Artemis campaign.

Engineers connect the Orion crew and service modules for the Artemis II mission on Oct. 19, 2023, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With the crew and service modules integrated, the team will power up the combined crew and service module for the first time. After power on tests are complete, Orion will begin altitude chamber testing, which will put the spacecraft through conditions as close as possible to the environment it will experience in the vacuum of deep space. The crew and service modules are the two major components of Orion that will fly NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a mission around the Moon and bring them home safely.

The transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis III mission arrives at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. The European Service Module, which is assembled by Airbus in Bremen, Germany, from parts made in 10 European countries and the United States, acts as the driving force behind Orion for deep space exploration, providing essential propulsion, thermal control, and electrical power.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is loaded into the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft’s crew and service modules are flying to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for full thermal vacuum testing. In this unique facility, the crew and service modules will be put through extensive testing to ensure they can survive the rigors of launch, space travel, re-entry and splashdown. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I.

Nathan Varn, Program Director Orion Productions for Lockheed Martin, discusses the Orion crew spacecraft for Artemis III during a tour for Artemis II crew members and their families of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, March 15, 2024. Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen toured the facility with their families and viewed the Orion spacecraft for upcoming Artemis missions.

The Orion spacecraft crew for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed being transferred across the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27, 2024 following a series of electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed inside the Final Assembly and System Testing cell at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 15, 2024. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through the Artemis campaign.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft, wrapped up for shipping, is moved into position for loading into the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft’s crew and service modules are flying to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for full thermal vacuum testing. In this unique facility, the crew and service modules will be put through extensive testing to ensure they can survive the rigors of launch, space travel, re-entry and splashdown. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I.

Artemis II mission specialist Christina Hammock Koch poses inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023. The Artemis II Orion crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

Jennifer Solano, with Lockheed Martin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, demonstrates a pair of augmented reality (AR) goggles as she works on crew module hardware for the agency’s Artemis II mission inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy on March 18, 2020. Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin provided the goggles to technicians to help place tapes where components will be installed on Orion for Artemis II, the first crewed mission aboard the spacecraft. Using the AR goggles saves significant labor and time to complete tasks. Manufactured by Microsoft, the goggles, called HoloLens2, are the second version used by Lockheed.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for installation on the Artemis I spacecraft, technicians have extended one of the Artemis I solar array wings for inspection on Sept. 10, 2020, to confirm that it unfurled properly and all of the mechanisms functioned as expected. The solar array is one of four panels that will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

Jennifer Solano, with Lockheed Martin at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, wears a pair of augmented reality (AR) goggles to work on crew module hardware for NASA’s Artemis II mission inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy on March 18, 2020. Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin provided the goggles to technicians to help place tapes where components will be installed on Orion for Artemis II, the first crewed mission aboard the spacecraft. Using the AR goggles saves significant labor and time to complete tasks. Manufactured by Microsoft, the goggles, called HoloLens2, are the second version used by Lockheed.

The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed inside the Final Assembly and System Testing cell at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 15, 2024. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through the Artemis campaign.

Senior managers from Orion, NASA, and Lockheed Martin view the Artemis I spacecraft during a visit to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 5, 2020. From left are Scott Wilson, manager, Orion Production Office; Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate; Jules Schneider, director of Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations for Lockheed Martin; and Jim Skaggs, senior manager of Kennedy Operations for Lockheed Martin. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning to land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface by 2024.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stand in front of their Orion crew module with NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; and Victor Glover, pilot. The crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

Teams from NASA and Lockheed Martin pose for a photo in front of NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft, connected to a massive crane ahead atop the agency’s KAMAG transporter inside the Neil A. Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, May 2, 2025. The spacecraft will be transported to the spaceport’s Multi-Payload Processing Facility to undergo fueling and processing for prelaunch operations. The Artemis II test flight is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step toward missions on the lunar surface and helping the agency prepare for future human missions to Mars.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

The European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis II mission is shown inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on Aug. 8, 2023. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis. Crew members are: Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft, wrapped up for shipping, is carefully aligned for loading into the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft’s crew and service modules are flying to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for full thermal vacuum testing. In this unique facility, the crew and service modules will be put through extensive testing to ensure they can survive the rigors of launch, space travel, re-entry and splashdown. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft, wrapped up for shipping, arrives at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Facility runway for loading into the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft’s crew and service modules are flying from the Florida spaceport to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for full thermal vacuum testing. In this unique facility, the crew and service modules will be put through extensive testing to ensure they can survive the rigors of launch, space travel, re-entry and splashdown. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I.

The Orion spacecraft for the Artemis III mission is in view in the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its launch atop the Space Launch System rocket on Artemis III, which will send astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, on a mission to the surface of the Moon.

On April 4, 2024, technicians monitor as teams lift the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

The Orion spacecraft crew for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed being transferred across the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27, 2024 following a series of electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Technicians with the European Space Agency and Airbus/Airbus Netherlands are shown performing an illumination test on one of the solar array wing panels during installation on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis I inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The solar arrays were extended, inspected, and then retracted, before installation on the spacecraft. Each solar array panel will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

A protective wrapping is being removed from the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis III mission inside a clean room in the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its launch atop the Space Launch System rocket on Artemis III, which will send astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, on a mission to the surface of the Moon.

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, walk toward their Orion crew module on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist. The crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

The Orion spacecraft for the Artemis III mission is in view inside a clean room in the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its launch atop the Space Launch System rocket on Artemis III, which will send astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, on a mission to the surface of the Moon.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for installation on the Artemis I spacecraft, technicians have extended one of the Artemis I solar array wings for inspection on Sept. 10, 2020, to confirm that it unfurled properly and all of the mechanisms functioned as expected. The solar array is one of four panels that will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

With the Artemis II Orion spacecraft in the background, Artemis II mission Commander Reid Wiseman, far right, poses for a photograph with employees from NASA, Lockheed Martin, and ASRC inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, March 15, 2024. The Artemis II crew members toured the facility with family members and viewed the Orion crew modules, including the spacecraft that will take them, along with Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for installation on the Artemis I spacecraft, technicians have extended one of the Artemis I solar array wings for inspection on Sept. 10, 2020, to confirm that it unfurled properly and all of the mechanisms functioned as expected. The solar array is one of four panels that will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

NASA’s Artemis II mission Commander Reid Wiseman films his weekly Artemis Update for his social media platforms in front of the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, March 15, 2024.

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stand in front of their Orion crew module and talk with NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist. The crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

Members of the European Service Module processing team from the European Space Agency, Airbus, and Airbus Netherlands are shown with Orion’s solar array wings installed on the spacecraft for Artemis I inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The solar arrays were extended, inspected, and then retracted, before installation on the spacecraft. Each solar array panel will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

On April 4, 2024, technicians examine the Artemis II Orion spacecraft after a team lifts it into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Senior managers from Orion, NASA, and Lockheed Martin view the Artemis II crew module inside a clean room during a visit to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 5, 2020. From left are Jim Skaggs, senior manager of Kennedy Operations for Lockheed Martin; Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate; and Scott Wilson, manager, Orion Production Office. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning to land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface by 2024.

The heat shield for NASA’s Artemis II mission is in view inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 18, 2020. Using augmented reality (AR) goggles, technicians are completing the work on the heat shield. Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin provided the goggles to technicians to help place tapes where components will be installed on the crew module, heat shield and other components for Artemis II, the first crewed mission aboard the spacecraft. Using the AR goggles saves significant labor and time to complete tasks. Manufactured by Microsoft, the goggles, called HoloLens2, are the second version used by Lockheed.

Delegates from the European Space Agency and German Space Agency visited NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 29, 2021. Inside the spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout building, the international partners viewed the European-built service module, its crew module adapter as well as the heat shield and crew module for Artemis II. Additionally, they were able to view the pressure vessel – the shell for the crew module – for Artemis III. Together with NASA’s Orion program and contractor Lockheed Martin, teams have begun checkouts and assembly for these future Artemis missions.

Artemis II mission pilot Victor Glover smiles inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023. The Artemis II Orion crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

In view is a closeup of the newly installed orbital maneuvering system engine nozzle and heat shield for the Artemis II European Service Module inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 16, 2023. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The service module will provide the power necessary to propel Orion on a trip around the Moon, including the in-space maneuvering capability and other commodities necessary to sustain crew for the duration of the mission.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, at the podium up front, speaks to NASA workers across the nation and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. Behind him is the Orion crew module for Exploration Mission-2. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost. Bridenstine presented a closer look at America’s work to return astronauts to the Moon in a sustainable way and continue exploration to Mars.

Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, visits the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 5, 2020. While at the O&C, Lueders and senior managers of Orion and Lockheed Martin had the opportunity to view the Artemis I and II spacecraft. In the background is the heat shield for Artemis II. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning to land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface by 2024.

Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman poses inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023. The Artemis II Orion crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Teams install the heat shield on the Artemis II Orion spacecraft inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. The 16.5-foot-wide shield will ensure the safe return of the astronauts on board as the spacecraft travels at speeds of about 25,000 miles per hour and experiences outside temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Artemis II will be the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of Orion’s systems needed for future crewed missions.

The Orion spacecraft crew module for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed being lowered inside the Final Assembly and System Testing cell by a 30 ton crane at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through the Artemis campaign.

Artemis Commander Reid Wiseman visits with employees from ASRC inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, March 15, 2024. The Artemis II crew members toured the facility with family members and viewed the Orion crew modules, including the spacecraft that will take them, along with Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orion’s European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earth’s atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASA’s Artemis I mission.

On April 4, 2024, teams lift the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Technicians with the European Space Agency and Airbus/Airbus Netherlands are shown performing an illumination test on one of the solar array wing panels during installation on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis I inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The solar arrays were extended, inspected, and then retracted, before installation on the spacecraft. Each solar array panel will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

On April 4, 2024, teams lift the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to NASA workers across the nation and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. Behind him is the Orion crew module for Exploration Mission-2. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost. Bridenstine presented a closer look at America’s work to return astronauts to the Moon in a sustainable way and continue exploration to Mars.

Shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023, is the Orion crew module for NASA’s Artemis II mission. The crew features Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

Eric Nolan, a technician with ASRC Federal Data Solutions, wears a pair of augmented reality (AR) goggles as he works on the heat shield for the crew module for NASA’s Artemis II mission inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 18, 2020. Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin provided the goggles to technicians to help place tapes where components will be installed on Orion for Artemis II, the first crewed mission aboard the spacecraft. Using the AR goggles saves significant labor and time to complete tasks. Manufactured by Microsoft, the goggles, called HoloLens2, are the second version used by Lockheed.

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, check out their Orion crew module on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Victor Glover, pilot. The crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

NASA’s Artemis II mission Commander Reid Wiseman visits the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on March 15, 2024. Along with fellow crew member, Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, the astronauts toured the facility with their families and viewed the Orion crew module that will take them, along with Victor Glover, pilot; and Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.

Kathy Lueders, far left, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, views the Artemis I spacecraft during a visit to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 5, 2020. To her right is Jules Schneider, director of Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations for Lockheed Martin; and to her left is Jim Skaggs, senior manager of Kennedy Operations for Lockheed Martin. In between Schneider and Skaggs is Scott Wilson, manager of the Orion Production Office at Kennedy. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning to land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface by 2024.

Artemis II crew members and their families visit the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, March 15, 2024. Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen toured the facility with their families and viewed the Orion spacecraft for Artemis III.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft, wrapped up for shipping, is moved into position for loading into the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft’s crew and service modules are flying to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for full thermal vacuum testing. In this unique facility, the crew and service modules will be put through extensive testing to ensure they can survive the rigors of launch, space travel, re-entry and splashdown. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to NASA workers across the nation and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. Behind him is the Orion crew module for Exploration Mission-2. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost. Bridenstine presented a closer look at America’s work to return astronauts to the Moon in a sustainable way and continue exploration to Mars.

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stand in front of their Orion crew module with NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy during a media event on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist. The crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft, wrapped up for shipping, arrives at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Facility runway for loading into the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft’s crew and service modules are flying from the Florida spaceport to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for full thermal vacuum testing. In this unique facility, the crew and service modules will be put through extensive testing to ensure they can survive the rigors of launch, space travel, re-entry and splashdown. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I.

Artemis II crew members and their families view the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II during a tour of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, March 15, 2024. Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman and Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen toured the facility with their families and viewed the Orion spacecraft for upcoming Artemis missions.

Teams install the heat shield on the Artemis II Orion spacecraft inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. The 16.5-foot-wide shield will ensure the safe return of the astronauts on board as the spacecraft travels at speeds of about 25,000 miles per hour and experiences outside temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Artemis II will be the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of Orion’s systems needed for future crewed missions.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for installation on the Artemis I spacecraft, technicians have extended one of the Artemis I solar array wings for inspection on Sept. 10, 2020, to confirm that it unfurled properly and all of the mechanisms functioned as expected. The solar array is one of four panels that will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

On April 4, 2024, teams lift the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stand in front of their Orion crew module on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist. The crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

Bob Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, gives a thumbs up as he speaks to NASA workers and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is loaded into the agency’s Super Guppy aircraft at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft’s crew and service modules are flying to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, for full thermal vacuum testing. In this unique facility, the crew and service modules will be put through extensive testing to ensure they can survive the rigors of launch, space travel, re-entry and splashdown. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I.

The Orion spacecraft crew for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed being transferred across the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27, 2024 following a series of electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen and his family view the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II during a tour of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, March 15, 2024. Along with Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Hansen toured the facility with family members and viewed the Orion crew modules, including the spacecraft that will take them, along with Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover and Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.

During a Moon to Mars event March 11, 2019, in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to astronaut Karen Nyberg, on screen. Nyberg is in a test version of the Orion crew module at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Bridenstine spoke to NASA workers across the nation and members of the news media, following the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost. Bridenstine presented a closer look at America’s work to return astronauts to the Moon in a sustainable way and continue exploration to Mars.

Artemis II mission specialist Christina Hammock Koch poses inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023. The Artemis II Orion crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

Technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida finish installing the orbital maneuvering system engine nozzle and heat shield for the Artemis II European Service Module inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on Jan. 16, 2023. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The service module will provide the power necessary to propel Orion on a trip around the Moon, including the in-space maneuvering capability and other commodities necessary to sustain crew for the duration of the mission.

The Orion spacecraft crew for NASA’s Artemis II mission is photographed being transferred across the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27, 2024 following a series of electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman smiles inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023. The Artemis II Orion crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, visits the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 5, 2020. In the background is the Orion spacecraft’s forward bay cover for Artemis I. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning to land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface by 2024.

From left, Kelvin Manning, acting center director, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center; Shawn Quinn, Exploration Ground Systems program manager; Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program office; Howard Hu, Orion program manager; Debbie Korth, Orion deputy program manager, participate in a handover ceremony of NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft to crews with the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, May 1, 2025. The spacecraft will be transported to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility to undergo fueling and processing for prelaunch operations. The Artemis II test flight is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step toward missions on the lunar surface and helping the agency prepare for future human missions to Mars.

The heat shield for NASA’s Artemis II mission is in view inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 18, 2020. Using augmented reality (AR) goggles, technicians are completing the work on the heat shield. Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin provided the goggles to technicians to help place tapes where components will be installed on the crew module, heat shield and other components for Artemis II, the first crewed mission aboard the spacecraft. Using the AR goggles saves significant labor and time to complete tasks. Manufactured by Microsoft, the goggles, called HoloLens2, are the second version used by Lockheed.

Artemis II pilot Victor Glover poses inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2023. The Artemis II Orion crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.

A team wearing bunny suits inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27, 2024 prepare the Artemis II Orion spacecraft to be lifted by a 30 ton crane out of a vacuum chamber following a series of electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.

Jennifer Solano, with Lockheed Martin at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, wears a pair of augmented reality (AR) goggles to work on crew module hardware for NASA’s Artemis II mission inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy on March 18, 2020. Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin provided the goggles to technicians to help place tapes where components will be installed on Orion for Artemis II, the first crewed mission aboard the spacecraft. Using the AR goggles saves significant labor and time to complete tasks. Manufactured by Microsoft, the goggles, called HoloLens2, are the second version used by Lockheed.

Bob Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to NASA workers across the nation and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost.

Two of the four solar array wings are shown from behind the spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels after being installed on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis I inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020, work begins to install four solar array wings on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis I. The solar arrays were extended, inspected, and then retracted, before installation on the spacecraft. Each solar array panel will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orion’s service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orion’s power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, check out their Orion crew module on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist; and Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist. The crew module is undergoing acoustic testing ahead of integration with the European Service Module. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis.