The team at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Photo credit: NASA / Rad Sinyak

The team at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion.

The team at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Photo credit: NASA / Rad Sinyak

Vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing at Armstrong Test Facility will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Photograph taken on September 11, 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

The team at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion.

The team at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Commander Reid Wiseman looks up at the Orion capsule during tours on September 11, 2024 of the acoustic lab. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

The team at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen look around during tours of the acoustic lab.

The team at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Mission Specialis Jeremy Hansen looks up at the Orion capsule during tours of the acoustic lab.

Vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article at Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, OH. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), prepares for testing by installing the Forward Bay Cover. The Crew Module returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), prepares for testing by installing the Forward Bay Cover. The Crew Module returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), prepares for testing by installing the Forward Bay Cover. The Crew Module returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort Systems gets installed on to the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), in preparation for testing at the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Saundusky, Ohio. The ETA completed an 11-month test campaign in 2024 necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort Systems gets installed on to the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), in preparation for testing at the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA completed an 11-month test campaign in 2024 necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort Systems gets installed on to the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), in preparation for testing at the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA completed an 11-month test campaign in 2024 necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

Commander Reid Wiseman, Howard Hu, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen pose in front of the Orion Environmental Test Article at Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, OH on September 11, 2024. The team has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Employees meet three of the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed flight paving the way for future lunar surface missions. Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will be on hand to discuss their upcoming mission and participate in a Question and Answer session with employees afterward. Hansen is an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency. Victor Glover, the pilot and fourth crew member, will not be present. Awards were given to employees that participated in Orion for Artemis I. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

Technicians inside NASA’s Kennedy Space Centers Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) in Florida use a crane to load the Artemis I spacecraft - now called an environmental test article – into the crew module transportation fixture in preparation for its departure to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio

Evening photo of the Space Experiments Complex in the evening of the arrival of the Orion ETA (Environmental Test Article) having been shipped from Florida by truck. The Orion ETA flew on Artemis I and will undergo testing of the docking module jettison and the forward by cover jettison in preparation of the Artemis II launch.

Evening photo of the Space Experiments Complex in the evening of the arrival of the Orion ETA (Environmental Test Article) having been shipped from Florida by truck. The Orion ETA flew on Artemis I and will undergo testing of the docking module jettison and the forward by cover jettison in preparation of the Artemis II launch.

Evening photo of the Space Experiments Complex in the evening of the arrival of the Orion ETA (Environmental Test Article) having been shipped from Florida by truck. The Orion ETA flew on Artemis I and will undergo testing of the docking module jettison and the forward by cover jettison in preparation of the Artemis II launch.

Evening photo of the Space Experiments Complex in the evening of the arrival of the Orion ETA (Environmental Test Article) having been shipped from Florida by truck. The Orion ETA flew on Artemis I and will undergo testing of the docking module jettison and the forward by cover jettison in preparation of the Artemis II launch.

Commander Reid Wiseman, Mission Specialist Christina Koch and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen pose in front of the Orion Environmental Test Article at Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, OH on September 11, 2024. The team has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Employees meet three of the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed flight paving the way for future lunar surface missions. Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will be on hand to discuss their upcoming mission and participate in a Question and Answer session with employees afterward. Hansen is an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency. Victor Glover, the pilot and fourth crew member, will not be present. Awards were given to employees that participated in Orion for Artemis I. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

Evening photo of the Space Experiments Complex in the evening of the arrival of the Orion ETA (Environmental Test Article) having been shipped from Florida by truck. The Orion ETA flew on Artemis I and will undergo testing of the docking module jettison and the forward by cover jettison in preparation of the Artemis II launch.

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Crew Module Uprighting System Test, which is the system of five airbags on top of the capsule that inflate upon splashdown. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Crew Module Uprighting System Test, which is the system of five airbags on top of the capsule that inflate upon splashdown. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Crew Module Uprighting System Test, which is the system of five airbags on top of the capsule that inflate upon splashdown. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin and Quentin Schwinn)

After the evening arrival of the Orion ETA (Environmental Test Article) having been shipped from Florida by truck, is shown being lowered to the floor of the Space Experiments Complex (SEC), Glenn Research Center, Armstrong Test Facility. The Orion ETA will undergo testing of the docking module jettison and the forward by cover jettison in preparation of the Artemis II launch.

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. This image shows the setup right before the FBC deployment test. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort Systems gets installed on to the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), in preparation for testing at the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA completed an 11-month test campaign in 2024 necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn and Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort Systems gets installed on to the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), in preparation for testing at the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA completed an 11-month test campaign in 2024 necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. In November 2024, experts completed the Forward Bay Cover jettison test, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy.

The Launch Abort Systems gets installed on to the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), in preparation for testing at the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA completed an 11-month test campaign in 2024 necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

The Launch Abort System and the Orion Crew Module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in October 2023 through January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

Experts at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, conducted a lightning test, which simulates the electromagnetic effects of a lightning strike to the vehicle on the launch pad awaiting liftoff. The February 20, 2024, test proved the grounding path of the vehicle is operating as designed and protecting the vehicle from damage to any of its equipment or systems. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn)

Experts at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, conducted a lightning test, which simulates the electromagnetic effects of a lightning strike to the vehicle on the launch pad awaiting liftoff. The February 20, 2024, test proved the grounding path of the vehicle is operating as designed and protecting the vehicle from damage to any of its equipment or systems. Photo Credit: (NASA/Quentin Schwinn)

Angelo De La Rosa works inside the Environmental Laboratory’s thermal chamber to attach test articles to the testing architecture at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The center is testing components for integration into the Orion AA-2 test article scheduled for a test flight of the launch abort system in 2019.

The Orion crew module ground test article sits in the Lockheed Martin Vertical Test Facility in Colorado on June 6, 2011. Work on the heat shield and thermal protection backshell of the test article was completed in preparation for environmental testing. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

Martin Munday selects the accelerometers that will be used for vibration testing of the Orion AA-2 test article components in the Environmental Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. Following Armstrong’s validation and verification work, the components will be integrated on the AA-2 test article for a flight set for 2019.

The Orion CM (Crew Module) or Orion ETA (Environmental Test Article) is passed through the vacuum chamber on its way to get ready for two critical tests in preparation for the Artemis II flight. There will be a jettison test of the Docking Module and a jettison test of the Forward Bay Cover.

JSC2001-E-44739 (December 2001) --- Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-109 mission specialist, dons a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit prior to a mission training session in the Environmental Test Article (ETA) Chamber in the Crew Systems Laboratory at Johnson Space Center (JSC).

JSC2001-E-44742 (December 2001) --- Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-109 mission specialist, dons a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit prior to a mission training session in the Environmental Test Article (ETA) Chamber in the Crew Systems Laboratory at Johnson Space Center (JSC).

JSC2002-E-23122 (5 June 2002) --- Astronaut Sandra H. Magnus, STS-112 mission specialist, dons a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit prior to a mission training session in the Environmental Test Article (ETA) Chamber in the Crew Systems Laboratory at Johnson Space Center (JSC).

The Artemis I Orion crew module, now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), arrives to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, following an 11-month test campaign at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA will undergo propulsion functional testing at Kennedy’s Multi Payload Processing Facility. The ETA splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, following its journey around the Moon during the Artemis I mission.

The Artemis I Orion crew module, now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), arrives to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, following an 11-month test campaign at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA will undergo propulsion functional testing at Kennedy’s Multi Payload Processing Facility. The ETA splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, following its journey around the Moon during the Artemis I mission.

The Artemis I Orion crew module, now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), arrives to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, following an 11-month test campaign at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The ETA will undergo propulsion functional testing at Kennedy’s Multi Payload Processing Facility. The ETA splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, following its journey around the Moon during the Artemis I mission.

Front Row: Commander Reid Wiseman, Howard Hu, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, General David Stringer, Back Row: Carlos Garcia Galan, Howard Hu, John Zang, Josh Pawlak, Nicole Smith, Jan-Henrik Horstmann, Robert Overy, Kathryn Oriti pose in front of the Orion Environmental Test Article at Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, OH. The team has begun vibro-acoustic testing on the Orion spacecraft that flew around the Moon on Artemis I, now known as the Environmental Test Article. The testing will help ensure the safety of future crews aboard Orion. Employees meet three of the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed flight paving the way for future lunar surface missions. Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will be on hand to discuss their upcoming mission and participate in a Question and Answer session with employees afterward. Hansen is an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency. Victor Glover, the pilot and fourth crew member, will not be present. Awards were given to employees that participated in Orion for Artemis I. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

NASA Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, checks out the Orion Environmental Test Article spacecraft during his visit at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.The Orion spacecraft was flown around the Moon and back during Artemis I on Nov. 16, 2022. Orion will carry Hansen and three other astronauts around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.

Crew members and backup crew members of the Artemis II team pose for a photo with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and Lockheed Martin teams during a visit to Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. In the background is the Orion Environmental Test Article spacecraft which was flown around the Moon and back during Artemis I on Nov. 16, 2022. Orion will carry four astronauts around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.

The Space Environments Complex (SEC) at the Armstrong Testing Facility stores Orion’s Launch Abort System, which will later be tested for support of Artemis II. Photo Credit: (NASA/Jordan Salkin)

From left, Artemis II backup crew members, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons, speak to Jeremy Graeber, assistant launch director, for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems during a visit at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. In the background is the Orion Environmental Test Article spacecraft which was flown around the Moon and back during Artemis I on Nov. 16, 2022. Orion will carry four astronauts around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program pose for a photo in front of the upper stage for the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Visible in the background is also the Artemis I Orion crew module, now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA). Technicians fueled the SLS upper stage, known as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, with hydrazine for its reaction control system at the MPPF before its transportation to the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building and will now integrate the four-story propulsion system with SLS rocket elements atop mobile launcher 1.

This photograph shows the flight article of the Airlock Module (AM)/Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA) assembly being readied for testing in a clean room at the McDornell Douglas Plant in St. Louis, Missouri. Although the AM and the MDA were separate entities, they were in many respects simply two components of a single module. The AM enabled crew members to conduct extravehicular activities outside Skylab as required for experiment support. Oxygen and nitrogen storage tanks needed for Skylab's life support system were mounted on the external truss work of the AM. Major components in the AM included Skylab's electric power control and distribution station, environmental control system, communication system, and data handling and recording systems. The MDA, forward of the AM, provided docking facilities for the Command and Service Module. It also accommodated several experiment systems, among them the Earth Resource Experiment Package, the materials processing facility, and the control and display console needed for the Apollo Telescope Mount solar astronomy studies. The AM was built by McDonnell Douglas and the MDA was built by Martin Marietta. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for the design and development of the Skylab hardware and experiment management.

Orion ETA Hardware, Launch Abort System and Crew Module Documentation Photographs - Crew Module Arrival