Tag: Artemis
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SLS enters pad flow ahead of historic Artemis II mission
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft arrived at Launch Pad 39B after an approximately 10-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. Crawler Transporter 2 (CT-2) carried the Moon rocket and its Mobile Launcher-1 (ML-1) back to the historic launch site after a slightly…
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NASA Administrator teases further Artemis program updates in one-on-one interview
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (right) speaks with Spaceflight Now Reporter Will Robinson-Smith (left) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to discuss the Artemis program and other agency initiatives. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now NASA has it’s sights set on launching the Artemis 2 mission no earlier than April 1. The determination came following the conclusion of a…
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NASA inspector general assesses agency’s management of moon lander risk
An artist’s impression of an Apollo-era lunar module (left) and moon landers being built by Blue Origin (center) and SpaceX (right). Graphic: NASA Office of Inspector General NASA is working to reduce the risks of upcoming Artemis moon missions, but there are “gaps” in the agency’s approach, including in planned tests of some critical lander…
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NASA’s Artemis ‘Course Correction’ Boosts Moonward Momentum: Key Details Still Maturing
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled sweeping changes to the Artemis program, aimed at restoring momentum, reducing technical risk, and establishing a sustainable path to lunar exploration. Citing persistent delays, technical setbacks, and an unsustainable three-year gap between SLS launches, Isaacman described the prior architecture as “not a path to success.” Industry partners have largely endorsed…
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NASA announces major overhaul of Artemis moon program: “We’ve got to get back to basics”
Artist concept of a SpaceX Starship lunar lander on the surface of the moon. Image: SpaceX. New NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a major overhaul of the agency’s Artemis moon program Friday, acknowledging that the agency’s plan to land astronauts on the moon in 2028 was not realistic without another preparatory mission first to lay…
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NASA overhauls Artemis moon program — and Blue Origin’s lander may be given a bigger role
An artist’s conception shows the integrated design for the Blue Moon Mark 2 lander. (Blue Origin Illustration) NASA is reworking its Artemis moon program to add a test mission for commercial lunar landers in low Earth orbit next year, with a crewed lunar landing to follow in 2028 at the earliest. The revised plan raises…
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NASA rolls back SLS, fixes aiming for April launch
NASA has rolled back the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The roll began around 9:45am local time on Wednesday and was completed by the evening. The decision follows an unexpected interruption in helium flow within the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion…
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Helium problem forces NASA to delay Artemis 2 launch to the moon and roll back the rocket
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, far left, walks around Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a team of troubleshooters working on a helium flow issue with the Space Launch System rocket in the background. (NASA Photo) NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says the giant rocket set to send four astronauts around the…
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NASA completes a smooth rehearsal for historic Artemis 2 moon launch
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket stands on its Florida launch pad. (NASA Photo / Aubrey Gemignani) NASA counted down to T-minus 29 seconds during a smooth rehearsal for a historic launch that could send astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than half a century. The run-through at Launch Complex 39B, at…
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Interlune digs into the development of an excavator for helium-3 and construction projects on the moon
Interlune and Vermeer worked together to test a full-scale prototype of an excavator with auxiliary components. (Interlune / Vermeer Photo) Interlune is leveraging a $150,000 NASA contract to develop develop lunar trenching and excavation technology — and although the primary goal is to extract valuable helium-3 from moon dirt, the project also signals the company’s…