Artemis II

NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team moves quickly to prepare Artemis 2 for launch in early 2026. In March, EGS successfully stacked the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage onto the mobile launcher between the two solid rocket boosters (SRBs). The Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) is now part of the core stage. Alongside core stage integration, NASA has steadily progressed on the Orion spacecraft, preparing it for its first crewed mission around the Moon and back.

Yesterday, NASA’s Exploration Ground System (EGS) completed stacking the final component for Artemis 2’s SLS boosters, including the nosecone. This marks the completion of stacking the two Solid Rocket Boosters, which will provide most of the thrust to lift the Artemis 2 crew off the pad.

While the White House may or may not be working towards canceling or drastically changing the Artemis Program, NASA is working on keeping it moving. While December’s Artemis 2 delay sounded like a “no earlier than” date, it now sounds like it’s more a “no later than” date.

NASA continues to get the rocket that will launch the crew of Artemis 2 to the Moon ready before the end of the year. The Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) is continuing work on stacking the Space Launch System‘s solid rocket boosters. Teams have stacked four segments, two per booster, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Next, NASA contractors will stack the center segments, forward-center segments, and forward segments before topping them with nose cones. Nose cones which NASA recently moved into the Vehicle Assembly Building. In all, NASA has eight more booster components to stack before finishing integration.

The countdown to the launch of Artemis 2 has begun. On December 19, NASA’s Exploration Ground System (EGS) team stacked another booster segment. The left aft center booster segment was added to the launch pad. This milestone officially starts the clock for Artemis 2’s launch.

On December 16, NASA hosted a select group of media representatives inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, for an exclusive briefing on the ambitious Artemis program. The event provided updates on mission preparations, challenges, and progress as NASA works toward its goal of returning humans to the Moon and landing at its South Pole.

Welcome back to another edition of Terminal Count. Starship has continued to command the news cycle even after its launch last month. That will likely not change for the foreseeable future; however, NASA’s Artemis 2 mission is entering the chat with the start of SLS stacking.

NASA shared that it has finished an analysis on the cause of more than expected erosion on the Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft’s heat shield from two years ago. However, the agency hasn’t yet shared any details with the public as to what might have caused the issue.

Under a blistering Louisiana sun, the Artemis II core stage left the Michoud Assembly Facility this morning in New Orleans. This is the core of the massive SLS rocket that will take four astronauts to orbit the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

NASA announced in a stacked press conference that the agency is delaying its much anticipated Artemis 2 mission over safety concerns with the Lockheed Martin Orion spacecraft. Now slated for a September 2025 launch date, the delay also extends to Artemis 3 which is planned to liftoff one year after Artemis 2.

In this exciting era of space exploration, NASA’s Artemis missions are poised to redefine the boundaries of human achievements as the agency sets its sights on landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. 

NASA’s Artemis program and the preparations for the Artemis 2 mission are in full swing. Flight hardware is arriving at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to construct the giant SLS rocket, and crewed hardware is also being delivered. The Artemis astronauts’ first ride on launch day is now in procession of Canoo’s fully electric crew transport vehicles.

It’s April already, which means NASA has shared the crew flying on Artemis 2. In an event at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, alongside numerous other NASA and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) leaders, announced the four-person team.

Teams have assembled the main structures of NASA’s Artemis 2 Core Stage at New Orleans Michoud Assembly Facility, another step closer to getting the rocket ready for launch.

Tuesday, NASA held a press conference to give an update on the agency’s Artemis program. During the conference, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced delays to the launches of Artemis II and III.

Students across Alabama have been working on being the first student-built CubeSat to leave low-Earth orbit. Now that dream is no more after NASA dropped secondary payloads from the Artemis II mission. Thus, forcing the Alabama Space Grant Consortium that leads the project to pivot its design.