NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Jody Singer, left, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Deputy Program manager, Space Launch System Program, Chris Cianciola, U.S. Representative Randy Weber (R-TX), and Boeing Director of operations at Michoud Assembly Facility Jennifer Boland-Masterson, right, view the core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will help power the first Artemis mission to the Moon, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Through Artemis NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Jody Singer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Deputy Program manager, Space Launch System Program, Chris Cianciola, Boeing Director of operations at Michoud Assembly Facility Jennifer Boland-Masterson, U.S. Representative Randy Weber (R-TX), and Dayne Cutrell, Chief of Staff for Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, background, view the core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will help power the first Artemis mission to the Moon, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Through Artemis NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Chris Cianciola, Deputy Manager, SLS Program, participates in a prelaunch media briefing following completion of NASA’s Flight Readiness Review for Artemis I on Aug. 22, 2022, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I is scheduled to launch at 8:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. 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.

Chris Cianciola, Deputy Manager, SLS Program, participates in a prelaunch media briefing following completion of NASA’s Flight Readiness Review for Artemis I on Aug. 22, 2022, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I is scheduled to launch at 8:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. 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.

Mike Bolger; front; manager; NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems; and Chris Cianciola; NASA’s Space Launch System Program deputy manager at Marshall Space Flight Center; participate in the 11th terminal countdown simulation for the Artemis I launch inside Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Control Center on Oct. 14; 2021. The event marked the first time members of NASA’s mission management team; launch team; and contractor Jacobs conducted the simulation together. During Artemis I; the agency’s Orion spacecraft will lift off from Kennedy aboard NASA’s most powerful rocket – the Space Launch System – to fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown. Through NASA’s Artemis missions; the agency; along with commercial and international partners; will establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon to prepare for missions to Mars.

A prelaunch media briefing is held following completion of NASA’s Flight Readiness Review for Artemis I on Aug. 22, 2022, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Participants are, from left, Megan Cruz, NASA Communications; Bob Cabana, NASA Associate Administrator; Janet Petro, Director, Kennedy Space Center; Jim Free, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development; Mike Sarafin, Mission Manager, Artemis I; Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Launch Director, Artemis I; Howard Hu, Manager, Orion Program; Chris Cianciola, Deputy Manager, SLS Program. Artemis I is scheduled to launch at 8:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. 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 prelaunch media briefing is held following completion of NASA’s Flight Readiness Review for Artemis I on Aug. 22, 2022, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Participants are, from left, Megan Cruz, NASA Communications; Bob Cabana, NASA Associate Administrator; Janet Petro, Director, Kennedy Space Center; Jim Free, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development; Mike Sarafin, Mission Manager, Artemis I; Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Launch Director, Artemis I; Howard Hu, Manager, Orion Program; Chris Cianciola, Deputy Manager, SLS Program. Artemis I is scheduled to launch at 8:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. 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.