From NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site lawn near the iconic countdown clock, storm clouds can be seen rolling in over the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on July 28, 2020. Standing at 525 feet tall, this facility is capable of hosting multiple varieties of rockets and spacecraft at the same time. Currently, the VAB is being utilized to process and assemble the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars. Artemis I – the first launch under the agency’s Artemis Program – will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Storm clouds roll in over the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2020. Standing at 525 feet tall, this iconic landmark at Kennedy is capable of hosting multiple varieties of rockets and spacecraft at the same time. Currently, the VAB is being utilized to process and assemble the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars. Artemis I – the first launch under the agency’s Artemis Program – will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
From NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site lawn near the iconic countdown clock, storm clouds can be seen rolling in over the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on July 28, 2020. Standing at 525 feet tall, this facility is capable of hosting multiple varieties of rockets and spacecraft at the same time. Currently, the VAB is being utilized to process and assemble the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars. Artemis I – the first launch under the agency’s Artemis Program – will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Storm clouds roll in over the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2020. Standing at 525 feet tall, this iconic landmark at Kennedy is capable of hosting multiple varieties of rockets and spacecraft at the same time. Currently, the VAB is being utilized to process and assemble the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars. Artemis I – the first launch under the agency’s Artemis Program – will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Storm clouds roll in over the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2020. Standing at 525 feet tall, this iconic landmark at Kennedy is capable of hosting multiple varieties of rockets and spacecraft at the same time. Currently, the VAB is being utilized to process and assemble the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars. Artemis I – the first launch under the agency’s Artemis Program – will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
From NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site lawn near the iconic countdown clock, storm clouds can be seen rolling in over the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on July 28, 2020. Standing at 525 feet tall, this facility is capable of hosting multiple varieties of rockets and spacecraft at the same time. Currently, the VAB is being utilized to process and assemble the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars. Artemis I – the first launch under the agency’s Artemis Program – will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
On July 28, 2020, storm clouds roll in over the Press Site lawn, where an exterior host set is being constructed in preparation for NASA’s Mars 2020 launch broadcast at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, with the Mars Perseverance rover aboard, lifted off from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 on July 30 at 7:50 a.m. EDT. Once it arrives at the Red Planet, the rover will search for signs of ancient microbial life on Mars.
Launch Complex 39 Construction: Launch Complex 39 LC-39 was originally designed and built to launch American astronauts toward the moon. The complex stretches inland from the Atlantic Ocean across four miles of what, until 1963, was a land of intermittent marshes and sandy scrub growth. In less than four years, starting with 1963 and ending with 1966, it was transformed into an operational spaceport embodying a mobile concept: rockets and spacecraft are erected in one area and transported to a separate location for launch. A total of 153 vehicles have been launched from LC-39. Poster designed by Kennedy Space Center Graphics Department/Greg Lee. Credit: NASA
A brilliant blue sky serves as the backdrop for a panoramic view of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, mobile launcher at left, and Launch Control Center at right, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These facilities are being upgraded for NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for launches to deep space destinations, including the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Seen here is the “Launch America” banner for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) on the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 28, 2021. NASA and SpaceX are preparing for Crew-3 – the third crew rotation flight to the International Space Station for CCP – and part of that includes conducting a dress rehearsal ahead of launch. On Oct. 28, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts and launch teams rehearsed countdown operations, concluding with the Go/No-Go poll for Falcon-9 fueling. The Crew-3 mission will carry NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer to the space station for a six-month stay. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than Nov. 6 at 11:36 p.m. EDT.
Kennedy Space Center’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building is photographed just before NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts and launch teams participate in a countdown dress rehearsal on Oct. 28, 2021, in preparation for the upcoming Crew-3 launch. The mission will carry NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer to the International Space Station for a six-month stay. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida no earlier than Nov. 6 at 11:36 p.m. EDT. Crew-3 is the third crew rotation flight to the space station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and the first flight of a new Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Seen here is the “Launch America” banner for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) on the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 28, 2021. NASA and SpaceX are preparing for Crew-3 – the third crew rotation flight to the International Space Station for CCP – and part of that includes conducting a dress rehearsal ahead of launch. On Oct. 28, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts and launch teams rehearsed countdown operations, concluding with the Go/No-Go poll for Falcon-9 fueling. The Crew-3 mission will carry NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer to the space station for a six-month stay. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than Nov. 6 at 11:36 p.m. EDT.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the LC-39 Complex Turn Basin area across from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a major water main leak in a 24-inch pipe caused soil to wash away near the Press Site. The center was closed for the morning while workers assessed and repaired the break. In the background is the Pegasus barge docked at the Turn Basin which is used to deliver the space shuttle external fuel tank. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the LC-39 Complex Turn Basin area across from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a major water main leak in a 24-inch pipe caused soil to wash away near the Press Site. The center was closed for the morning while workers assessed and repaired the break. In the background is the Pegasus barge docked at the Turn Basin which is used to deliver the space shuttle external fuel tank. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Looking towards a shuttle launch viewing stand is the result of a major water main leak in a 24-inch pipe that caused soil to wash away near the Press Site in the LC-39 Complex Turn Basin area across from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center was closed for the morning while workers assessed and repaired the break. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the LC-39 Complex Turn Basin area across from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a major water main leak in a 24-inch pipe caused soil to wash away near the Press Site. The center was closed for the morning while workers assessed and repaired the break. In the background is the Pegasus barge docked at the Turn Basin which is used to deliver the space shuttle external fuel tank. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
STS-41 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex (LC) Pad 39 mobile launcher platform at 7:47 am (Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)). OV-103 riding atop the external tank (ET) and flanked by two solid rocket boosters (SRBs), is captured just moments after liftoff. Not yet clear of the fixed service structure (FSS) tower, OV-103 is highlighted against the cloudless morning sky. Exhaust smoke billows from the SRBs and the space shuttle main engines (SSMEs) creating a cloud over the launch pad area.
Vendor tents and displays filled the grounds in the Industrial Area as well as LC 39 Area during Super Safety and Health Day at KSC. Safety Day is a full day of NASA-sponsored, KSC and 45th Space Wing events involving a number of health and safety related activities: Displays, vendors, technical paper sessions, panel discussions, a keynote speaker, etc. The entire Center and Wing stand down to participate in the planned events. Safety Day is held annually to proactively increase awareness in safety and health among the government and contractor workforce population. The first guiding principle at KSC is “Safety and Health First.” KSC’s number one goal is to “Assure sound, safe and efficient practices and processes are in place for privatized/commercialized launch site processing.
Vendor tents and displays filled the grounds in the Industrial Area as well as LC 39 Area during Super Safety and Health Day at KSC. Safety Day is a full day of NASA-sponsored, KSC and 45th Space Wing events involving a number of health and safety related activities: Displays, vendors, technical paper sessions, panel discussions, a keynote speaker, etc. The entire Center and Wing stand down to participate in the planned events. Safety Day is held annually to proactively increase awareness in safety and health among the government and contractor workforce population. The first guiding principle at KSC is “Safety and Health First.” KSC’s number one goal is to “Assure sound, safe and efficient practices and processes are in place for privatized/commercialized launch site processing.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical, fire-rescue personnel, and simulated flight crew members participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical, fire-rescue personnel, and simulated flight crew members participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical, fire-rescue personnel, and simulated flight crew members participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical, fire-rescue personnel, and simulated flight crew members participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical, fire-rescue personnel, and simulated flight crew members participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule atop, slowly rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17, 2022, on its journey to Launch Complex 39B. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, NASA’s Moon rocket is venturing out to the launch pad for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Seen here is a close-up view of the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket as it rolls to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 6, 2022. Carried by the 6.65-million-pound crawler-transporter 2, the rocket is traveling to the launch pad for NASA’s next wet dress rehearsal attempt ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone before venturing to Mars.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and lead contractor Jacobs transport the massive Space Launch System (SLS) core stage to Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on April 29, 2021. Once inside the VAB, it will be prepared for integration with the completed stack of solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and lead contractor Jacobs transport the massive Space Launch System (SLS) core stage to Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on April 29, 2021 in this aerial view. Once inside the VAB, it will be prepared for integration with the completed stack of solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft rolls out from the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft will make the trip to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where it will be prepared for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The mobile launcher, carried by the crawler-transporter 2, rolls out from its park site location to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 16, 2023. While at the pad, it will undergo testing for the agency’s Artemis II mission. Under Artemis, the mobile launcher will transport NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to pad 39B for liftoff.
NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft encapsulated inside SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings is transported from the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, to be mated with a SpaceX Falcon 9 in preparation for liftoff set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols.
Upgrades are in progress inside the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 24, 2019. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 moves slowly along the crawlerway towards Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, after reaching the milestone of 2,500 miles traveled since its construction in 1965. Crawler-transporter 2 reached the milestone while teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems took it on a trip in preparation for supporting the roll of the mobile launcher back into the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of the Artemis II launch. Built originally to transport massive Saturn V rockets during the Apollo Program, crawler-transporter 2 continued its service during the Space Shuttle Program, and currently transports the massive SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
A view of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during sunrise on Jan. 19, 2022. Inside the VAB, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft are stacked in High Bay 3 in preparation for the agency’s Artemis I mission. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule atop, slowly rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17, 2022, on its journey to Launch Complex 39B. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, NASA’s Moon rocket is venturing out to the launch pad for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Painting of the U.S. flag continues on the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in this close-up view at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 17, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, are repainting the American Flag on the iconic building. The flag is 209 feet long by 110 feet wide. Each star is more than six feet in diameter, and each stripe is nine feet wide. Exploration Ground Systems is overseeing upgrades to the VAB to support the launch of the Space Launch System and Orion for Artemis missions. Under the Artemis program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon.
NASA’s Artemis I Moon rocket – carried atop the crawler-transporter 2 – prepares to roll past the iconic countdown clock at the NASA News Center on its way to Launch Complex 39B on June 6, 2022, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket is traveling to the launch pad for NASA’s next wet dress rehearsal attempt ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone before venturing to Mars.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida celebrate on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, the agency’s crawler-transporter 2 reaching the milestone of 2,500 miles traveled since its construction in 1965. Crawler-transporter 2 reached the milestone while teams took it on a trip in preparation for supporting the roll of the mobile launcher from Launch Pad 39B back into the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of the Artemis II launch. Built originally to transport massive Saturn V rockets during the Apollo Program, crawler-transporter 2 continued its service during the Space Shuttle Program, and currently transports the massive SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
A view of the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as painting of the U.S. flag continues on the iconic building on Sept. 17, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, are repainting the American Flag on the building. The flag is 209 feet long by 110 feet wide. Each star is more than six feet in diameter, and each stripe is nine feet wide. Exploration Ground Systems is overseeing upgrades to the VAB to support the launch of the Space Launch System and Orion for Artemis missions. Under the Artemis program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 moves slowly along the crawlerway towards Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, after reaching the milestone of 2,500 miles traveled since its construction in 1965. Crawler-transporter 2 reached the milestone while teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems took it on a trip in preparation for supporting the roll of the mobile launcher back into the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of the Artemis II launch. Built originally to transport massive Saturn V rockets during the Apollo Program, crawler-transporter 2 continued its service during the Space Shuttle Program, and currently transports the massive SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
A view of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) with a vibrant NASA logo, referred to as the meatball, and American Flag at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 27, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, began repainting the meatball and flag on the iconic facility in May and recently completed the project. The VAB was last painted in 2007, when repairs where completed after Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne tore 845 panels off the building in 2004. It took over 500 gallons of paint to repaint the 209’ X 110’ flag and the 110’ X 132’ meatball.
John Giles, crawler element operations manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems, holds a plaque near the odometer of the agency’s crawler-transporter 2, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, commemorating the milestone of 2,500 miles traveled since its construction in 1965. Crawler-transporter 2 reached the milestone while teams took it on a trip in preparation for supporting the roll of the mobile launcher from Launch Pad 39B back into the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of the Artemis II launch. Built originally to transport massive Saturn V rockets during the Apollo Program, crawler-transporter 2 continued its service during the Space Shuttle Program, and currently transports the massive SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
Dan Zapata is a crawler systems engineer for the Exploration Ground Systems Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of seven certified drivers for the agency’s crawler transporters –six-million-pound platforms that carry rockets and spacecraft from Kennedy’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad – Zapata is part of the team that will take NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B for the Artemis I launch. Artemis I is the first in an increasingly complex series of missions that will ultimately send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon, paving the way for long-term presence in lunar orbit and serving as a steppingstone for future missions to Mars.
The mobile launcher, carried by the crawler-transporter 2, rolls out from its park site location to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 16, 2023. While at the pad, it will undergo testing for the agency’s Artemis II mission. Under Artemis, the mobile launcher will transport NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to pad 39B for liftoff.
The 10 booster motor segments that will form the NASA Space Launch System rocket’s twin, five-segment solid rocket boosters for the agency’s Artemis II mission, arrive at Kennedy Space Center on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Due to their weight, the booster motor segments traveled by rail across eight states in specialized transporters to the Florida spaceport. Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems will process each of the segments at Kennedy in preparation for launch. Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will blast off from Kennedy, traveling around the Moon on the first crewed mission under Artemis that will test all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems.
Employees from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida watch as teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The 212-foot-long rocket stage completed its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge the previous day. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
A technician monitors conditions in a control room inside the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 24, 2019. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
A technician measures foam insulation inside the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 24, 2019. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
A photograph taken July 24, 2019, shows new air tanks, piping and control panels were installed in the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
Painting of the U.S. flag continues on the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 17, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, are repainting the American Flag on the iconic building. The flag is 209 feet long by 110 feet wide. Each star is more than six feet in diameter, and each stripe is nine feet wide. Exploration Ground Systems is overseeing upgrades to the VAB to support the launch of the Space Launch System and Orion for Artemis missions. Under the Artemis program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon.
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 moves slowly along the crawlerway towards Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, after reaching the milestone of 2,500 miles traveled since its construction in 1965. Crawler-transporter 2 reached the milestone while teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems took it on a trip in preparation for supporting the roll of the mobile launcher back into the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of the Artemis II launch. Built originally to transport massive Saturn V rockets during the Apollo Program, crawler-transporter 2 continued its service during the Space Shuttle Program, and currently transports the massive SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
A photograph taken July 24, 2019, shows new tanks and piping were installed outside of the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
A freshly painted American Flag on the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is photographed on Oct. 27, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, began repainting the NASA logo, referred to as the meatball, and flag on the iconic facility in May. The flag measures 209 feet long by 110 feet wide; each star is more than six feet in diameter, and each stripe is nine feet wide. It took over 500 gallons of paint to repaint the flag and the 110’ X 132’ meatball.
A long-exposure image captures a streak of light produced by passing vehicles in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. The iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, completed in 1966 and currently used for assembly of NASA's Space Launch System rocket for Artemis missions, remains the only building in which rockets were assembled that carried humans to the surface of another world.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule atop, slowly rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17, 2022, on its journey to Launch Complex 39B. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, NASA’s Moon rocket is venturing out to the launch pad for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
A photo of NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 odometer on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, commemorates the milestone of reaching 2,500 miles traveled since its construction in 1965. Crawler-transporter 2’s original odometer ceased working in 1977 at 644 miles, so teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems added the original figure to the new odometer to calculate the milestone. Built originally to transport massive Saturn V rockets during the Apollo Program, crawler-transporter 2 continued its service during the Space Shuttle Program, and currently transports the massive SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
The 212-foot-long Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage pathfinder is being transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 1, 2019. NASA's Pegasus Barge arrived at the Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 30, 2019, making its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The upgraded 310-foot-long barge arrived Sept. 27, 2019, ferrying the SLS core stage pathfinder, a full-scale mock-up of the rocket's core stage. The pathfinder will be used by the Exploration Ground Systems Program and their contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy for approximately one month before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft rolls out from the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft will make the trip to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where it will be prepared for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and lead contractor Jacobs transport the massive Space Launch System (SLS) core stage to Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on April 29, 2021 in this aerial view. Once inside the VAB, it will be prepared for integration with the completed stack of solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
A technician measures foam insulation inside the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 24, 2019. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
A view of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during sunrise on Jan. 19, 2022. Inside the VAB, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft are stacked in High Bay 3 in preparation for the agency’s Artemis I mission. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Employees from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida watch as teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The 212-foot-long rocket stage completed its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge the previous day. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule atop, prepares to roll out of High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17, 2022, for its journey to Launch Complex 39B. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, NASA’s Moon rocket is venturing out to the launch pad for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
A technician measures foam insulation inside the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 24, 2019. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft rolls out from the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 21, 2019. The spacecraft will make the trip to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where it will be prepared for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Employees from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida watch as teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The 212-foot-long rocket stage completed its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge the previous day. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
A construction worker installs new wiring inside the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 24, 2019. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
A flatbed truck carries a vertical support post (VSP) for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the Mobile Launcher Yard at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The two aft skirt electrical umbilicals (ASEUs) and the first of the vehicle support posts underwent a series of tests to confirm they are functioning properly and ready to support the SLS for launch. The ASEUs will connect to the SLS rocket at the bottom outer edge of each booster and provide electrical power and data connections to the rocket until it lifts off from the launch pad. The eight VSPs will support the load of the solid rocket boosters, with four posts for each of the boosters. The center’s Engineering Directorate and the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program are overseeing processing and testing of the umbilicals.
NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft encapsulated inside SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairings is transported from the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, to be mated with a SpaceX Falcon 9 in preparation for liftoff set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols.
A fog rolls over the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2020. The iconic 525-foot-tall facility will support the launch of the agency’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spaceport for Artemis missions. Under the Artemis program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon. Exploration Ground Systems is overseeing upgrades to the VAB. In view in the background is the Launch Control Center.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Tuesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems move the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on July 30, 2020, for processing. Carried by NASA’s Pegasus barge, the LVSA arrived at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf after departing from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage and will remain in the VAB until it’s time for stacking on the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and lead contractor Jacobs transport the massive Space Launch System (SLS) core stage to Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on April 29, 2021 in this aerial view. A NASA helicopter is in view in the upper left of the photograph. Once inside the VAB, the core stage will be prepared for integration with the completed stack of solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and lead contractor Jacobs transport the massive Space Launch System (SLS) core stage to Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on April 29, 2021. Once inside the VAB, it will be prepared for integration with the completed stack of solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Painting of the U.S. flag continues on the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 17, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, are repainting the American Flag on the iconic building. The flag is 209 feet long by 110 feet wide. Each star is more than six feet in diameter, and each stripe is nine feet wide. Exploration Ground Systems is overseeing upgrades to the VAB to support the launch of the Space Launch System and Orion for Artemis missions. Under the Artemis program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon.
After completing its journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge, teams with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) transport the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Once inside, SLS will be prepared for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.
NASA’s Moon rocket is on the move at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building for a 4.2-mile journey to Launch Complex 39B on March 17, 2022. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft are venturing to the pad for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
A photograph taken July 24, 2019, shows new tanks and piping were installed outside of the Utility Annex near the Vehicle Assembly (VAB) Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Utility Annex, which provides 8,000 gallons of chilled water per minute to the VAB and other facilities in the Launch Complex 39 area, is being upgraded and repaired. The facility also contains boilers necessary to provide hot water to the VAB. The center’s Engineering Directorate is making the repairs and upgrades to the facility to prepare for the agency’s Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars.