Tag

Space Launch System

All articles tagged with #space launch system

space1 month ago•106 min saved

NASA pushes Artemis III prep toward 2027 moon mission

NASA is accelerating Artemis III prep for a 2027 launch, with the Space Launch System core stage being assembled at Kennedy Space Center, RS-25 engines and boosters arriving and being installed, and the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield and service module being prepared as monthly launch simulations proceed; Artemis III will send four astronauts to low Earth orbit to rendezvous with two commercial lunar landers, a crucial stepping stone toward Artemis IV’s 2028 lunar landing, while related hardware such as the LOX tank for Artemis IV advances.

via Space|

#artemis-iii #kennedy-space-center #nasa

space-exploration1 month ago•105 min saved

Artemis III advances toward 2027 launch as SLS stack begins assembly

NASA has begun stacking the Space Launch System for Artemis III at Kennedy Space Center, with a solid rocket booster segment delivered to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The two SRBs, plus the core stage, will provide about 7.2 million pounds of liftoff thrust, delivering more than 75% of the rocket’s power. Artemis III, targeting a mid-to-late 2027 launch, will send four astronauts aboard Orion to rendezvous and dock with private lunar landers (Blue Moon and SpaceX’s Starship-based system) to test rendezvous and docking ahead of future lunar missions. The core stage arrived at the VAB in May without its engine section; the engine will be attached later. NASA aims to complete a wet dress rehearsal before year’s end as assembly continues.

via Space|

#artemis-iii #kennedy-space-center #nasa

space-exploration2 months ago•101 min saved

Audit reveals Artemis hardware costs balloon to $5.9B amid program reshuffle

A NASA Inspector General memo shows Artemis program hardware contracted at $2.9B grew to $5.9B by work cessation as mission plans changed (Artemis 4 instead of 3, a single SLS design) and Gateway was canceled, with cost overruns and delays hitting components like the Exploration Upper Stage, Universal Stage Adapter, Mobile Launcher 2, and HALO, prompting NASA to restructure for affordability and schedule realism.

via Space|

#artemis #exploration-upper-stage #halo

space3 months ago•4 min saved

Pegasus: NASA's 310-Foot Barge Hauling the SLS Core Stage for Artemis Missions

NASA uses the Pegasus barge to move the Space Launch System's 212-foot core stage and other enormous rocket components by water from Louisiana to Florida, a ship lengthened in 1999 to accommodate heavier hardware and already supporting Artemis II and Artemis III with future missions on the horizon.

via Jalopnik|

#artemis-ii #core-stage #nasa

space3 months ago•5 min saved

Artemis III SLS Core Rises at Kennedy Ahead of 2027 Moon Mission

NASA has begun assembling Artemis III’s Space Launch System at Kennedy Space Center, raising the rocket’s core stage inside the Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of a planned 2027 liftoff. The mission will test critical rendezvous and docking with lunar landers and will gauge performance alongside SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon as a stepping stone to crewed lunar exploration.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#artemis-iii #kennedy-space-center #orion-spacecraft

science4 months ago•5 min saved

Ames Center Powers Artemis II: Heat Shield Data, SLS Tuning, and Lunar Science

NASA Ames contributed to Artemis II by refining Orion’s reentry physics with new aerothermal sensors and modeling, advancing 3D-MAT compression pads, validating SLS aerodynamics and debris analyses, supporting mission assurance with real-time tools, and guiding crew-led lunar science observations.

via NASA (.gov)|

#ames-research-center #artemis-ii #nasa

science4 months ago•36 min saved

Artemis III Gains Ground as SLS Core Stage Rolls Toward Florida

NASA rolled out the Space Launch System core stage for Artemis III, a 212-foot-tall rocket section built by Boring and L3Harris, marking a key step toward the first crewed lunar landing in more than 50 years. The core stage will power Artemis III’s mission, slated for 2027, with final assembly on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center after its transport from Michoud.

via Yahoo|

#artemis #moon-mission #nasa

science4 months ago•5 min saved

Artemis II Postflight Assessments Confirm Smooth System Performance for Artemis III

NASA's Artemis II postflight analyses show Orion and SLS performed as expected, with ongoing inspections at Kennedy and Marshall to support Artemis III and future Moon missions.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis-ii #nasa #orion-spacecraft

space4 months ago•15 min saved

Artemis II poised for Moon orbit as weather and countdown align

NASA's final pre-launch briefing for Artemis II says countdown and tanking are on track, with weather looking favorable (about 80% acceptable) though cumulus clouds could threaten the launch. The two‑hour window at Kennedy Space Center remains, and the four‑astronaut crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—will fly the Space Launch System and Orion around the Moon for about 10 days, paving the way for future lunar missions. Updates will continue ahead of launch day.

via BBC|

#artemis-ii #moon-mission #nasa

space4 months ago•9 min saved

Artemis II on track as Florida weather keeps a vigilant watch

Artemis II’s four astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen) are in final quarantine ahead of a planned 6:24 p.m. ET liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, targeting a free-return lunar trajectory. Weather remains a key factor with an 80% go forecast despite onshore showers; launch decisions hinge on cloud thickness, winds, lightning rules, and space weather, as NASA holds a final prelaunch briefing and Space Coast spectators prepare for a historic mission.

via FOX Weather|

#artemis-ii #go-no-go #kennedy-space-center

technology4 months ago•4 min saved

Michoud: The Six-Decade Forge Behind Artemis’ Lunar Return

New Orleans' Michoud Assembly Facility has long produced major rocket stages for NASA—from Saturn V and Space Shuttle external tanks to the Space Launch System core stages for Artemis. With Artemis II crewed and Artemis III targeting mid-2027, production workflows have evolved to complete more of the core stage at Michoud before final assembly at Kennedy Space Center, underscoring the facility's central role in America's lunar ambitions while its workforce weather the program's ups and downs.

via NASASpaceFlight.com -|

#artemis #michoud-assembly-facility #nasa

space4 months ago•74 min saved

Artemis 2 poised for April 1 liftoff on a crewed lunar flyby

NASA says Artemis 2 is on track for an April 1 liftoff from Cape Canaveral with a two-hour window and about a 20% weather risk, carrying Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen aboard Orion for a 10-day flight that will loop around the Moon (not land) before returning to Earth, a critical test paving the way for Artemis 3 and beyond.

via Space|

#artemis #moon #nasa

science5 months ago•7 min saved

Artemis II: policy, cost, and risk shape NASA’s lunar flyby plan

Artemis II plans a 10-day crewed loop around the Moon in April 2026 aboard SLS/Orion; space policy expert Scott Pace outlines the decades-long path to this mission, highlights key risk checks (boosters, translunar injection, life support, heat shield), discusses cost and flight-rate challenges, and explains Artemis as an international, commercial effort aimed at establishing a sustainable lunar presence that could eventually be led by the private sector if economics support it.

via The Conversation|

#artemis-ii #lunar-mission #orion-capsule

space5 months ago•73 min saved

Artemis 2 readies for a crewed lunar flyby on April 1

NASA is targeting April 1 to launch Artemis 2, a four‑astronaut mission (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen) aboard the Space Launch System and Orion for a roughly 10‑day loop around the Moon; it would be the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17. After fixing issues from a liquid hydrogen leak and a helium‑flow interruption, the Artemis 2 stack is on Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center. If April 1 slips, additional windows run through April 6, with a possible option on April 30, as NASA remains focused on an April liftoff.

via Space|

#artemis-2 #moon #nasa

space-exploration5 months ago•76 min saved

Artemis 2 rolls to the pad as NASA primes crewed lunar mission

NASA’s Artemis 2 rocket and Orion crew capsule were moved back to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center after recent maintenance, with rollout completing ahead of the April launch window. Artemis 2 will carry a four-person crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—for a 10-day loop around the Moon, as managers finalize systems and ground checks in case liftoff occurs starting April 1 (with potential extensions through April 6 and into late April if needed).

via Space|

#artemis-2 #kennedy-space-center #launch-pad