NASA’s Moon Rocket Arrives at Final Stop Before Launch
▼ Summary
– The Orion spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building to be stacked on its rocket for a launch scheduled early next year.
– NASA’s Artemis II mission is proceeding despite the government shutdown after receiving White House approval as an exception.
– The mission will carry four astronauts on a 10-day flight, marking the first human journey to the Moon’s vicinity since 1972.
– Orion underwent preparations including fueling, installing the Launch Abort System, and adding aerodynamic panels before its transfer.
– In the Vehicle Assembly Building, Orion will be lifted and placed atop the Space Launch System rocket for final integration.
The Orion spacecraft, destined to carry four astronauts on a journey around the Moon, has reached its final pre-launch destination inside the massive Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This critical milestone occurred late Thursday night, positioning the capsule for stacking atop its powerful rocket ahead of a planned liftoff early next year.
A carefully orchestrated late-night transfer moved the spacecraft approximately six miles across the Florida spaceport. NASA and its industry partners are advancing preparations for the Artemis II mission, which has received special authorization to continue work despite the ongoing federal government shutdown that started October 1. This sustained effort could enable a launch window opening as soon as February 5.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will make history aboard this flight as the first crew to travel to lunar vicinity since the final Apollo mission in 1972. Their ten-day expedition will mark the inaugural human flight of the Orion spacecraft, a vehicle representing nearly twenty years of development effort.
The spacecraft’s journey to this point has involved multiple processing stages. After departing its manufacturing facility in May, Orion first underwent propellant loading at a specialized fueling facility. Technicians carefully filled tanks with hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants that will feed the main engine and maneuvering thrusters during the lunar mission. Teams also loaded high-pressure helium and ammonia coolant into the propulsion and thermal control systems.
The next phase saw installation of the critical Launch Abort System, a tower-like structure designed to rapidly pull the crew capsule away from the rocket during launch emergencies. With its service module, crew compartment, and abort tower fully integrated, Orion stands approximately 67 feet tall. Engineers also mounted four ogive panels that will provide aerodynamic protection for the crew module during initial ascent.
Now inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the 78,000-pound spacecraft awaits its final placement. In coming days, massive cranes will lift the capsule dozens of stories above the VAB’s central aisle before maneuvering it into the northeast high bay for mating with the Space Launch System rocket. This stacking operation represents the last major assembly step before the integrated vehicle begins its journey to the launch pad.
(Source: Ars Technica)
