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Sls

All articles tagged with #sls

space11 days ago•9 min saved

NASA chief optimistic Artemis 3 target set for 2027 as lunar mission advances

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed strong confidence that Artemis 3 will launch in 2027, outlining a three-launch sequence at Kennedy Space Center: Blue Origin’s New Glenn will carry a test version of its Blue Moon Mark 2 lander into low Earth orbit, followed days later by the SLS/Orion stack that will rendezvous with the lander; SpaceX’s Starship Version 3 will serve as the docking target for Orion, with rollout timing tied to continued progress on SLS and lander testing. The Max Power air- and-space expo, run by private sponsors, will be held at KSC facilities in November 2026 and is not NASA-funded. Artemis 4 remains in planning with the crewed landing system to be chosen later.

via Spaceflight Now|

#artemis-3 #blue-origin #nasa

civil1 month ago•15 min saved

NASA projects face delays as civil workforce shrinks

A GAO report released July 23 finds NASA's civil-service headcount has fallen about 22% over the past year, affecting 25 of 36 major projects and potentially delaying work; Orion lost roughly 10% of civil servants and SLS about 20%, with Goddard hardest hit at 34% and several centers facing staffing gaps that could become staffing risks, though cost and schedule have not dramatically worsened yet. The agency reported $478.2 million in net overruns concentrated in SLS Block 1B and Orion, and noted possible bigger impacts in FY2027 funding; NASA is pursuing contractor-to-civil-service conversions and a new NASA Force program to shore up critical skills like aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, IT, and cybersecurity.

via SpaceNews|

#civil #gao #nasa

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Artemis-Cancelled Lunar Projects Carry Roughly $6B in Overruns and Delays

NASA’s inspector general found four Artemis-era projects that were stopped this year would have cost far more and taken longer to complete, with lifecycle costs rising from about $2.8 billion to $5.9 billion and delivery dates extended by up to seven years. HALO could still push completion to 2031, while EUS, USA, and Mobile Launcher 2 saw substantial cost growth. NASA plans to lock requirements earlier and lean toward fixed-price contracts and commercial options going forward, freeing more than $3 billion for future missions and distancing revised Artemis plans from the overruns.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis #cost-overruns #halo

space3 months ago•14 min saved

Artemis 3 to fly SLS with spacer upper stage replacing ICPS

NASA will launch Artemis 3 on the Space Launch System with an inert spacer substituting for the ICPS upper stage. The spacer, built at Marshall Space Flight Center, will match ICPS dimensions and interfaces so Orion’s flight hardware and missions can proceed. With ICPS no longer in production, Artemis 4 will carry the ICPS, while Centaur will be used on later SLS launches; Artemis 3 will rely on Orion’s own propulsion to circularize into a ~463-km orbit as NASA defines a three‑launch campaign to test rendezvous with two landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. Exact crew, suit testing, and dates remain under development, with a rough target in 2027–2028.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis-3 #icps #orion

space-exploration3 months ago•72 min saved

Artemis III advances toward the Moon as SLS core stands vertical for 2027 launch

NASA’s Artemis 3 core stage is standing vertical inside the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building, awaiting engine and upper-stage integration for a late‑2027 launch. The mission will stay in Earth orbit to test Orion and one or both lunar landers (Starship and/or Blue Moon) with crewed lunar touchdowns potentially coming on Artemis 4 in 2028 if the landers are ready.

via Space|

#artemis-3 #lunar-landers #moon

space-exploration3 months ago•71 min saved

Artemis 3 SLS core stage arrives at Kennedy Space Center ahead of 2027 launch

NASA's Artemis 3 SLS core stage has arrived at Kennedy Space Center, completing a 900-mile barge journey from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus barge. The 212-foot-tall core stage will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be mated with its engine section, finalizing the SLS core; Artemis 3 will remain in Earth orbit to test rendezvous/docking with lunar landers (SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon), with the launch now targeted for late 2027.

via Space|

#artemis-3 #core-stage #kennedy-space-center

space4 months ago•73 min saved

Artemis 3's giant SLS core stage moves toward Florida for 2027 lunar mission

NASA rolled the Space Launch System’s enormous 212‑foot core stage for Artemis 3 from Michoud to a Pegasus barge and onward to Kennedy Space Center, a key milestone toward a mid‑2027 crewed lunar landing. The rollout involved only 80% of the final height since the engine section hasn’t been attached yet, with final integration to come. Artemis 3 will test rendezvous and docking with private lunar landers (SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon) and, if successful, pave the way for Artemis 4 near the Moon’s south pole around 2028.

via Space|

#artemis-3 #kennedy-space-center #moon

space4 months ago•3 min saved

Artemis III Advances as NASA Moves SLS Core Stage Toward Final Assembly

NASA rolled the 212-foot core stage of the Space Launch System for Artemis III from the Michoud Assembly Facility to a Pegasus barge and on toward Kennedy Space Center for final outfitting and vertical stacking, a key step toward the 2027 crewed lunar landing; the top four-fifths houses the dual propellant tanks for four RS-25 engines and will deliver over 2 million pounds of thrust to send Orion toward the Moon, with Boeing and L3Harris coordinating assembly.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis #launch #moon

space4 months ago•3 min saved

NASA Rolls Out Largest SLS Core for Artemis III Prep to Kennedy Space Center

NASA will roll the top four-fifths of the Artemis III Space Launch System core stage from Michoud Assembly Facility to the Pegasus barge for transport to Kennedy Space Center, inviting U.S. media to cover the April 20 rollout as the stage is outfitted and stacked for Artemis III (targeted for 2027) with RS-25 engines shipping from Stennis by mid-2026.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis-iii #kennedy-space-center #michoud-assembly-facility

space4 months ago•3 min saved

Artemis 2: Four astronauts set for NASA’s first crewed lunar venture in decades

NASA’s Artemis 2 will launch four astronauts aboard the SLS/Orion for a 10-day loop around the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar flight in more than five decades. Following fixes to prior hydrogen leaks and a helium-flow issue, NASA declared go for a Wednesday launch window (6:24 p.m. ET, two hours); a Thursday 7:22 p.m. ET window is the backup. The test flight will validate SLS/Orion operations ahead of a 2028 crewed lunar landing.

via Gizmodo|

#artemis-2 #nasa #orion

technology5 months ago•6 min saved

Artemis II Countdown Kicks Off as NASA Prepares Crew for Lunar Orbit

NASA is kicking off a roughly two-day countdown for the Artemis II crewed lunar mission, detailing the L- and T-minus milestones, planned holds, and extensive system checks as astronauts Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen prepare for a lunar-orbit test that paves the way for a sustained lunar presence and future Mars exploration.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis-ii #countdown #moon-mission

space5 months ago•7 min saved

Artemis II Preps for First Crewed Moon Mission

NASA outlines live coverage, briefings, and timelines as Artemis II prepares to launch no earlier than April 1 from Kennedy Space Center, sending four astronauts on a roughly 10-day Orion flyaround of the Moon aboard the SLS rocket, with ongoing media events and downlinks through early April and a planned April 10 splashdown.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis #moon #nasa

space5 months ago•12 min saved

Artemis II Sets Humans Back on a Moon Flyby Path

NASA’s Artemis II will launch four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—aboard the Space Launch System for a 10‑day, ~600,000‑mile round‑trip lunar flyby, the first crewed Moon visit since Apollo 17. The Orion capsule will perform translunar injection, loop behind the Moon for a 30–50 minute comms blackout, and return to Earth, laying groundwork for Artemis III/IV and a sustained lunar presence while offering rare views of the Moon’s far side, including Orientale and the South Pole–Aitken basin.

via WIRED|

#artemis-ii #moon-far-side #nasa

space5 months ago•14 min saved

Artemis II makes a springtime return to the pad for April launch hopes

Artemis II’s launch vehicle and Orion spacecraft have rolled back to Launch Complex 39B and could launch as early as April 1, with NASA scheduling four two-hour windows from April 1–6 after addressing a helium blockage in the upper stage and past hydrogen-leak issues from the wet dress rehearsal; NASA will not conduct another fueling test, and Artemis planning shifts to using Centaur upper stages for Artemis 4 and 5, with international partners expected at upcoming briefings.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis-2 #launch-window #nasa

space5 months ago•2 min saved

LAVA Simulations Sharpen Artemis II Launch Readiness

NASA used its LAVA CFD tool to model the Artemis II Space Launch System launch environment, showing how water-sound suppression interacts with exhaust plumes and can redirect water to create localized pressure increases; the insights helped refine plume pressures and adapt the launch platform for the crewed mission, with NASA planning to release LAVA to the aerospace community for broader innovation.

via NASA (.gov)|

#aerodynamics #artemis-ii #lava-framework