Artemis I team members conduct the Artemis I launch pre-test briefing on Nov. 12, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Artemis launch director, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson (right) and technical assistant to the launch director, Wes Mosedale (left) are seen at the launch pre-test briefing Nov. 12, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the Artemis I mission. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Artemis launch director, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson is seen at the launch pre-test briefing Nov. 12, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the Artemis I mission. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
PHOTO DATE: 09-16-11 LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside SUBJECT: Expedition 31 crew members Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conduct pre-test briefings, preparations and then suit up for EVA training before entering the pool at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. PHOTOGRAPHER: Devin Boldt
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida meet on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Operations Support Building II for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida meet on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Operations Support Building II for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida meet on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Operations Support Building II for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis II launch director, is seen as teams meet for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Operations Support Building II in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Artemis II Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, is seen as teams meet for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Operations Support Building II in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida meet on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Operations Support Building II for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) NOTE - Portions of this image have been blurred for security reasons.
Artemis II Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, is seen as teams meet for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Operations Support Building II in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis II launch director, is seen as teams meet for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Operations Support Building II in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Artemis II crew member CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen participates in a pre-task briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, held in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing allows teams to collaborate ahead of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to evaluate the readiness of the crew and ground equipment ahead of launch day.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (left) and Victor Glover (right) participate in an Artemis II pre-task briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, held in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing allows teams to collaborate ahead of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to evaluate the readiness of the crew and ground equipment ahead of launch day.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (left) and Victor Glover (right) participate in an Artemis II pre-task briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, held in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing allows teams to collaborate ahead of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to evaluate the readiness of the crew and ground equipment ahead of launch day.
An Artemis II pre-task briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, is conducted in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing allows teams to collaborate ahead of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to evaluate the readiness of the crew and ground equipment ahead of launch day.
Artemis II crew member NASA astronaut Christina Koch participates in a pre-task briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, held in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing allows teams to collaborate ahead of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to evaluate the readiness of the crew and ground equipment ahead of launch day.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover participate in an Artemis II pre-task briefing alongside NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, held in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing allows teams to collaborate ahead of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to evaluate the readiness of the crew and ground equipment ahead of launch day.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis II launch director, left, and speaks with Shawn Quinn, manager of Exploration Ground Systems, as they meet for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Operations Support Building II in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) NOTE - Portions of this image have been blurred for security reasons.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis II launch director, left, and speaks with Shawn Quinn, manager of Exploration Ground Systems, and Artemis II Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, right, as they meet for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Operations Support Building II in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) NOTE - Portions of this image have been blurred for security reasons.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis II launch director, left, and Artemis II Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, and Shawn Quinn, manager of Exploration Ground Systems, right, are seen as teams meet for the Artemis II launch countdown pre-test briefing, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Operations Support Building II in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Artemis I team members conduct the Artemis I launch pre-test briefing on Sept. 23, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the high bay of Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, Jules Schnieder, Lockheed Martin's Orion production manager at the Florida Spaceport, briefs members of the news media about progress in preparing Orion for its first flight. In the background, the Orion spacecraft is surrounded by a special pre-launch processing access fixture. Lockheed Martin is NASA's prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on a Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the high bay of Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, Scott Wilson, NASA's Orion production manager at the Florida Spaceport, briefs members of the news media about progress in preparing Orion for its first flight. In the background, the Orion spacecraft is surrounded by a special pre-launch processing access fixture. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on a Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the high bay of Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, Scott Wilson, NASA's Orion production manager at the Florida Spaceport, briefs members of the news media about progress in preparing Orion for its first flight. In the background, the Orion spacecraft is surrounded by a special pre-launch processing access fixture. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on a Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the high bay of Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, Scott Wilson, NASA's Orion production manager at the Florida Spaceport, briefs members of the news media about progress in preparing Orion for its first flight. In the background, the Orion spacecraft is surrounded by a special pre-launch processing access fixture. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on a Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the high bay of Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, Jules Schnieder, Lockheed Martin's Orion production manager at the Florida Spaceport, briefs members of the news media about progress in preparing Orion for its first flight. In the background, the Orion spacecraft is surrounded by a special pre-launch processing access fixture. Lockheed Martin is NASA's prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on a Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
MOJAVE DESERT, Calif. – In the Mojave Desert in California, students and engineers participate in a pre-task briefing as preparations continue for the June 15 launch of a Garvey Spacecraft Corporation Prospector P-18D rocket on a high-altitude, suborbital flight. The rocket will carry four satellites made from four-inch cube section. Collectively known as CubeSats, the satellites will record shock, vibrations and heat inside the rocket. They will not be released during the test flight, but the results will be used to prove or strengthen their designs before they are carried into orbit in 2014 on a much larger rocket. A new, lightweight carrier is also being tested for use on future missions to deploy the small spacecraft. The flight also is being watched closely as a model for trying out new or off-the-shelf technologies quickly before putting them in the pipeline for use on NASA's largest launchers. Built by several different organizations, including a university, a NASA field center and a high school, the spacecraft are four-inch cubes designed to fly on their own eventually, but will remain firmly attached to the rocket during the upcoming mission. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/elana/cubesatlaunchpreview.html Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis