Tag: SLS
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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 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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Second SLS WDR appears to go as planned – March 6 target
NASA worked through a second Wet Dress Rehearsal for Artemis II, after the SLS vehicle experienced hydrogen leaks around propellant loading during the first test. Work on the Tail Service Mast Umbilical (TSMU) took place while the vehicle remained on Pad 39B, avoiding a rollback and a potential delay to the retargeted launch opportunities in…
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NASA to attempt second full fueling test of its Space Launch System rocket
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is seen at Launch Complex 39B in the midst of pre-launch testing for the Artemis 2 mission. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now NASA will try again to fully load its Space Launch System rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen this week at the conclusion of…
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Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal, critical milestone to launch – Attempt 1 scrubbed
Artemis II is still waiting to pass its Wet Dress Rehearsal following an extended attempt to get through the terminal count on Monday. Teams had a hydrogen leak earlier in the countdown, before an extended hold due to additional work required by the closeout team. With time running out in the window, SLS finally entered…
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NASA readies unique science experiments and tech demonstrations for Artemis II crew
Artemis II, the next mission in NASA’s Artemis program to explore the Moon, is scheduled to launch from Florida within the coming weeks. The mission will be the first crewed mission to the vicinity of the Moon since 1972, with the four-person crew expected to travel farther than any other human mission in spaceflight history.…
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NASA lines up WDR for SLS ahead of Artemis II
Teams at the Kennedy Space Center are advancing preparations for the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, with key milestones on track ahead of a critical wet dress rehearsal (WDR) test that is set for no earlier than January 31. It has been a…
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Artemis II rolls out to LC-39B for first crewed lunar mission since 1972
The rocket and spacecraft that will perform the first human spaceflight to the vicinity of the Moon since December 1972 rolled out to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, Jan. 17. The Orion spacecraft and its associated Space Launch System rocket, mounted on its mobile launch platform, started its rollout with…
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NASA sets milestones on the path to Artemis II crew launch
NASA has confirmed the upcoming milestones for its historic Artemis II mission—the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, sending four astronauts on a lunar flyby for the first time in over 50 years—with rollout and Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) to set the stage for a potential launch in…
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Northrop Grumman tests fast-developed SMART motor, looks ahead to future applications
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC), one of the largest space and defense contractors in the United States, is best known for its Space Shuttle and SLS solid rocket motors. However, it also manufactures a wide range of other solid rocket motors for space and defense applications. The company maintains and operates a program, the Solid Motor…