NASA’s Artemis II Faces Payless Push to Stay on Track

October 29, 2025Last Updated: October 29, 2025

2 minutes read

NASA Artemis II Orion spacecraft with NASA and ESA logos, and a 'Let's Go!' banner. — NASA engineers and technicians pose for a photograph in front of the agency’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion arrived at the MPPF in early May for fueling and processing and will next head to the spaceport’s Launch Abort System Facility to be integrated with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.

▼ Summary

– The federal government shutdown has not yet affected NASA’s most critical operations, including the International Space Station and robotic probes.
– NASA employees and contractors are not being paid during the shutdown, even if their work is deemed essential and they continue working.
– The Artemis II mission remains on schedule, with recent milestones including the stacking of the Orion spacecraft on the SLS rocket.
– Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket, testing systems during a 10-day mission around the Moon.
– Several months of work remain for the Artemis II team, including testing, training, and preparing the rocket for launch.

Nearly a month has passed since a federal government shutdown began, yet NASA’s most vital programs continue operating without disruption despite the political gridlock in Washington. This situation could shift soon, as federal employees and NASA contractors are working without pay, even on projects deemed essential. These essential roles include personnel responsible for the International Space Station and robotic missions exploring our Solar System and distant space.

At Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, teams remain dedicated to keeping the Artemis II mission on schedule for its targeted launch next February. Over the past four weeks, despite the shutdown, crews have achieved significant milestones. They successfully stacked the Orion spacecraft onto the powerful Space Launch System rocket inside the massive Vehicle Assembly Building. This crucial step, finalized about a week ago, marks the completion of the SLS rocket assembly for the upcoming mission.

Artemis II represents a historic step forward, it will be the first crewed flight aboard the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket. During their ten-day journey, astronauts will thoroughly test the Orion capsule’s systems and travel around the far side of the Moon before heading back to Earth. This mission is foundational, paving the way for future expeditions where astronauts will once again walk on the lunar surface.

The Artemis II team faces a demanding schedule ahead, working on borrowed time and without compensation. They must complete extensive testing of both the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, finalize astronaut and flight controller training, and eventually move the fully assembled 322-foot launch vehicle to Launch Complex 39B. There, teams will conduct a fueling test and a full launch countdown rehearsal to validate the entire system before liftoff.

(Source: Ars Technica)