Following an evaluation of partnership proposals to land a water-seeking robot on the lunar surface, NASA is instead opting to explore alternative approaches to deliver its VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover) rover to the Moon. NASA announced Wednesday it is canceling its Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership Announcement for Partnership Proposals solicitation, which sought opportunities […]
NASA’s Artemis II Orion Spacecraft Ready for Fueling, Processing
The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission around the Moon has been on the move. Technicians relocated the spacecraft May 5 from the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it was assembled, to its fueling facility at the spaceport. “With the Artemis II mission […]
Rocket Upper Stage Integrated as Preparations for Artemis II Continue
Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida successfully integrated the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s upper stage May 1, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, marking another key step toward preparing to launch the agency’s Artemis II crewed test flight around the Moon. Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program stacked the upper stage, […]
NASA Set to Fly South Korean CubeSat on Artemis II Test Flight
NASA and the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) signed an agreement May 2 for KASA to fly a CubeSat on NASA’s Artemis II test flight next year. K-Rad Cube will use a dosimeter made of material designed to mimic human tissue to measure space radiation and assess biological effects at various altitudes across the Van Allen […]
NASA’s Mobile Launcher 2 Continues to Grow
The tower of NASA’s mobile launcher 2 continues to rise with the addition of two new 40-foot-tall modules on April 22 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher 2 team, led by Bechtel National Inc., has integrated modules 6 and 7, which are the third and fourth of seven sections that will […]
NASA’s Moon Seismometer Cleared for Construction
NASA has confirmed that a seismometer being designed for the lunar surface is ready for building and assembly. The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is one of several science payloads in development for potential deployment by astronauts during NASA’s Artemis III mission. The LEMS instrument is a compact suite of seismometers, about the size […]
NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Gets New Addition
NASA’s Artemis II Moon rocket is taking shape following the successful integration of the launch vehicle stage adapter onto the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage on April 12 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program used a 325-ton crane to hoist […]
NASA’s Artemis II Core Stage Integration Complete at Kennedy
Another element of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis II is poised for flight. Technicians joined the core stage March 23 with the stacked solid rocket boosters for the mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program and primary contractor Amentum used one of the five […]
NASA Science Data Received, Blue Ghost Captures Eclipse From Moon
Following a successful landing on March 2, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 has been operating on the lunar surface for nearly two weeks. As part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander delivered 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Mare Crisium basin on the near […]
NASA Artemis II Core Stage Goes Horizontal Ahead of Final Integration
Technicians used massive cranes inside NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to lift the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage out of High Bay 2 and into a horizontal position in the facility’s transfer aisle. The move, completed on March 14, prepares the stage for integration with other […]