In a milestone mission preparation milestone, NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team recently assembled and connected the Orion spacecraft, developed by Lockheed Martin, with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the upcoming Artemis II mission. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by its astronaut crew, was transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center, where it was hoisted atop the SLS launch vehicle in High Bay 3 on October 19.
This major milestone for Artemis II comes as NASA and its industry partners prepare for a historic launch to the Moon with four astronauts, scheduled for early next year. After assembly, teams will make electrical and data connections between Orion and SLS, as well as umbilical connections connecting the mobile launch platform to the spacecraft. The EGS team will then conduct integrated tests of Orion and SLS before their transfer to Launch Pad 39B for a wet dress rehearsal planned for next year.
The first human flight of the Artemis program is scheduled for no earlier than February 2026, with potential launch windows extending to April 2026. This ten-day mission represents a key step toward establishing a lasting presence on the Moon, supporting exploration and scientific research.
