For Artemis II, the major sections of SLS remain unchanged – a central core stage, four RS-25 main engines, two five-segment solid rocket boosters, the ICPS (interim cryogenic propulsion stage), a launch vehicle stage adapter to hold the ICPS, and an Orion stage adapter connecting SLS to the Orion spacecraft. The difference is in the details.

“While we’re proud of our Artemis I performance, which validated our overall design, we’ve looked at how SLS can give our crews a better ride,” said John Honeycutt, NASA’s SLS Program manager. “Some of our changes respond to specific Artemis II mission requirements while others reflect ongoing analysis and testing, as well as lessons learned from Artemis I.”

Engineers have outfitted the ICPS with optical targets that will serve as visual cues to the astronauts aboard Orion as they manually pilot Orion around the upper stage and practice maneuvers to inform docking operations for Artemis III.

The Artemis II rocket includes an improved navigation system compared to Artemis I.  Its communications capability also has been improved by repositioning antennas on the rocket to ensure continuous communications with NASA ground stations and the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 which controls launches along the Eastern Range.

An emergency detection system on the ICPS allows the rocket to sense and respond to problems and notify the crew. The flight safety system adds a time delay to the self-destruct system to allow time for Orion’s escape system to pull the capsule to safety in event of an abort.

The separation motors that push the solid rocket booster away after the elements are no longer needed were angled an additional 15 degrees to increase separation clearance as the rest of the rocket speeds by.

Additionally, SLS will jettison the spent boosters four seconds earlier during Artemis II ascent than occurred during Artemis I. Dropping the boosters several seconds closer to the end of their burn will give engineers flight data to correlate with projections that shedding the boosters several seconds sooner will yield approximately 1,600 pounds of payload to Earth orbit for future SLS flights.

Engineers have incorporated additional improvements based on lessons learned from Artemis I. During the Artemis I test flight the SLS rocket experienced higher-than-expected vibrations near the solid rocket booster attachment points that was caused by unsteady airflow.

To steady the airflow, a pair of six-foot-long strakes flanking each booster’s forward connection points on the SLS intertank will smooth vibrations induced by airflow during ascent, and the rocket’s electronics system was requalified to endure higher levels of vibrations.

Engineers updated the core stage power distribution control unit, mounted in the intertank, which controls power to the rocket’s other electronics and protects against electrical hazards.

These improvements have led to an enhanced rocket to support crew as part of NASA’s Golden Age of innovation and exploration.

The approximately 10-day Artemis II test flight is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemiscampaign. It is another step toward new U.S.-crewed missions on the Moon’s surface that will help the agency prepare to send the first astronauts – Americans – to Mars.

Quelle: NASA

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Update: 25.09.2025

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Nasa plans first crewed Moon mission in 50 years for February 2026

Artemis II Crew: left Christina Koch, back Victor Glover (pilot), front Reid Wiseman (commander), right Jeremy Hansen

Nasa has said it hopes to send astronauts on a ten-day trip around the Moon as soon as February.

The US space agency had previously committed to launching no later than the end of April but said it aims to bring the mission forward.

It's been 50 years since any country has flown a crewed lunar mission. Nasa will send four astronauts there and back to test systems.

The Artemis II mission is the second launch of the Artemis programme, whose aim is to land astronauts and eventually establish a long-term presence on the lunar surface.

Artwork: Artemis II will be the first crewed lunar mission for more than 50 years

Lakiesha Hawkins, Nasa's acting deputy associate administrator said it would be an important moment in the human exploration of space.

"We together have a front row seat to history," she told a news conference this afternoon.

"The launch window could open as early as the fifth of February, but we want to emphasize that safety is our top priority."

Artemis Launch Director, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson explained that the powerful rocket system built to take the astronauts to the Moon, the Space Launch System (SLS) was "pretty much stacked and ready to go".

All that remained was to complete the crew capsule, called Orion, connected to SLS and to complete ground tests.

The first Artemis mission lasted 25 days and saw the launch of an uncrewed spacecraft in November 2022. It saw a spacecraft travel around the Moon and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

The mission was overwhelmingly successful, though there were issues with the heatshield as the spacecraft re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. These have since been addressed.

Source: European Space Agency

The Artemis II launch will see four astronauts go on a ten-day round trip to the Moon and back to the Earth. The astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, of Nasa and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, will not land on the Moon, though they will be the first crew to travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The lead Artemis II flight director, Jeff Radigan explained that the crew would be flying further into space than anyone had been before.

"They're going at least 5,000 nautical miles (9,200Km) past the Moon, which is much higher than previous missions have gone," he told reporters.

The aim of the mission is to test the rocket and spacecraft's systems to lay the ground for a lunar landing.

The astronauts will enter the Orion capsule, which will be their home for the duration of their journey which sits on top of SLS.

This will be carried initially into Earth orbit with the help of two solid rocket boosters, which will fall back to Earth two minutes after launch once they have done the heavy lifting.

Eight minutes after launch the massive Core stage will separate from the second stage, called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System (ICPS), and the Orion crew capsule. Orion's solar arrays will unfurl and begin charging the spacecraft's batteries to provide power when it is not in direct sunlight.

Ninety minutes later ICPS fires its engines to raise the vehicle to a higher Earth orbit, and for the next 25 hours there will be a full systems check.

If everything is in order, Orion will separate from ICPS and there will be a form of "space ballet" between the two vehicles, more prosaically called the Proximity Operations Demonstration.

Astronauts will manually control Orion's manoeuvring thruster to dance toward and away from ICPS. This will be to rehearse docking procedures in order to link up with a landing vehicle for the eventual Moon landing.

Twenty-three hours later Orion's service module carries out a Translunar Injection (TLI) burn - a blast of thrust aiming it at the Moon - before Orion makes its four-day journey, taking the astronauts more than 230,000 miles from Earth.

During the journey the astronauts will be continue to carry out systems checks.

The crew will in some ways be human guinea pigs.

Experiments will monitor how their bodies are affected by space. Scientists will grow tissue samples from the astronauts' blood called organoids both before and after their journey.

The two sets of organoids will be compared to see how the astronauts' bodies have been affected by space, according to Dr Nicky Fox, Nasa's head of science.

"You may be wondering why we are doing all that when we have the actual astronauts, she told BBC News.

"We want to be able to study in depth the effect of the microgravity and the radiation on these samples. I'm certainly not going to dissect an astronaut! But I can dissect these little organoid samples and really look at the difference."

After the spacecraft slingshots past the Moon, the astronauts begin their four-day journey home, drawn back with the help of the Earth's gravity.

On arrival, the service module, which has the spacecraft's primary propulsion system, separates from the crew module. The astronauts will then begin a dangerous part of the mission as they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, and parachute back to the surface off the coast of California.

Spacesuit engineers demonstrate how four crew members would be arranged for launch inside the Orion spacecraft

The success of the mission will determine how soon Nasa can launch Artemis III, to actually land on the Moon. But even if the mission goes to perfection, the space agency's stated aim of "no earlier than mid-2027" is unrealistic, according to Dr Simeon Barber of the Open University.

"'No earlier than' is familiar language for NASA, and it means just that. That's the earliest possibility," he said, adding that he deemed that optimistic due to the expense of keeping Artemis III on track.

"The Moon landing will require [Elon Musk's] SpaceX Starship to take the astronauts to and from the surface, and we've seen in recent months that Starship itself still has a long way to go before it can even achieve an orbital flight around the Earth, let alone put astronauts on board."

Quelle: BBC

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Update: 5.12.2025

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NASA reveals 'America 250' logo on rocket launching crew to moon

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander of the upcoming Artemis II mission to the moon, recently remarked that flying during the United States' 250th anniversary has definitely got him and his crew "fired up."

Wiseman was referring to the excitement that their flight is adding to the already milestone year, but as it turns out, he could have been speaking literally. As NASA revealed this week, the two side-mounted motors that will provide the majority of the thrust during the Artemis II crew's launch have been adorned with the nation's logo marking the 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

"The America 250 emblem is now on the twin solid rocket boosters of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis II — the powerhouse that will launch a crew of four around the moon next year," read NASA's announcement. "Unveiled on Tuesday, the design echoes the America 250 Commission's Spirit of Innovation theme, honoring a country that has never stopped pushing the horizon forward."

The red, white and blue emblems, which each measure 8 feet high by 11.8 feet wide (2.4 by 3.6 meters), were added inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Workers carefully painted each logo after the SLS had been fully stacked and topped off with "Integrity," the Orion spacecraft that will carry Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen on the mission.

The 10-day Artemis II mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than Feb. 5 (and no later than April 2026), will mark the first time that humans have returned to the vicinity of the moon since the last Apollo mission in 1972. The flight will not enter orbit around he moon, but rather follow a "free-return" trajectory that will take the crew further out from Earth than ever before.

The America 250 "design's ribbons are intended to evoke a sense of commemoration, celebration and purpose, while the flowing red, white, and blue ribbons form the number 250 as a single continuous path, representing the unity, cooperation and harmony we strive for as a country," according to the semiquincentennial commission.

The logo was created in partnership with Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, the same firm where Bruce Blackburn designed the nation's bicentennial emblem. Among other places, the 1976 logo was added to the exterior of NASA's VAB, where it remained in place for 22 years.

Blackburn also collaborated with Richard Danne to create NASA's logotype, affectionally called the "worm," which was first introduced in 1975, retired in 1992 and then resurrected alongside the space agency's original and official insignia ("the meatball") in 2020. Just as it was on the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022, the Artemis II solid rocket boosters also feature the worm.

"When I look at 2026, the year ahead, we're going 250,000 miles from planet Earth and just coincidentally, it happens to be the 250th anniversary of the United States of America," said Riseman. "So we'll see if we can play those two numbers together just a few thousand times on this mission."

Quelle: CS

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Update: 22.12.2025

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Artemis II Crew Rehearse Launch Day Demonstration

The four astronauts set to fly around the Moon during NASA’s Artemis II test flight depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during a dress rehearsal for launch day on Dec. 20, 2025. From left are CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch.

The launch day rehearsal, called a countdown demonstration test, simulated the launch day timeline, including the crew suiting up in their spacesuits and climbing in and out of their Orion spacecraft. Because the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket upon which they will launch is not yet at the launch pad, the crew boarded Orion inside Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where engineers are conducting final preparations on the spacecraft, rocket, and ground systems.  

Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Quelle: NASA 

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NASA rewraps Boeing Astrovan II for Artemis II ride to launch pad

December 20, 2025 — Artemis II, meet Astrovan II. NASA's first astronauts who will fly by the moon in more than 50 years participated in a practice launch countdown on Saturday (Dec. 20), including taking their first trip on a transport vehicle steeped in almost the entire span of U.S. space history — from Apollo through to the on-going commercial crew program. Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch, all with NASA, together with mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, began the rehearsal at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, proceeding as they will when they are ready to fly next year (the Artemis II launch is slated for no earlier than the first week of February and no later than April 2026). Parked outside of their crew quarters and suit-up room was their ride to their rocket, "Astrovan II," a modified Airstream motorhome. The almost 25-foot-long (8-meter) crew transport vehicle (CTV) was custom wrapped with graphics depicting the moon, the Artemis II mission patch and program insignia. From Canoo to coach Airstream's Atlas Touring Coach, though, was not originally planned as NASA's Artemis CTV. In July 2023, NASA took delivery of three fully-electric vans from Canoo Technologies after the company, a startup based in Torrance, California, was awarded the contract the year before. At the time, NASA touted its selection as focusing on the "crews' safety and comfort on the way to the [launch] pad." Six months later, Canoo filed for bankruptcy and NASA ceased active use of the electric vans, citing a lack of support for its mission requirements. Instead, the agency turned to another of its commercial partners, Boeing, which had its own CTV, but no astronauts at present to use it. Boeing debuted the Astrovan II in 2019 as the means of delivering its Starliner spacecraft crews to United Launch Alliance's Atlas V launch pad. The Airstream coach — sporting at the time a Starliner-livery — was used for the company's first, and to date only Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station in June 2024. The flight encountered significant issues with the Starliner's thrusters and despite it landing safely, the capsule returned to Earth without its astronaut crew. NASA and Boeing are now working towards returning Starliner to flight (with or without a crew is still to be determined), but there is ample time for the agency to lease the Astrovan II to support the Artemis II mission. Tire tracks The Airstream CTV is designated as "II" given that the original Astrovan was also furnished by Airstream. Based on the company's Excella-model motorhomes, the 1983 model was iconic for its full-body chrome finish. Airstream's history with NASA extends even farther back, having built the modified travel trailers that were used as mobile quarantine facilities during the first several Apollo moon landing missions. Saturday's Artemis II countdown demonstration test (CDDT) did not see the Astrovan II drive all the way to the launch pad. The mission's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft "Integrity" will be rolled out to Kennedy's Launch Complex 39B next month, so the rehearsal was conducted in the Vehicle Assembly Building where the SLS is still undergoing preparations. NASA is retaining the Canoo electric CTVs to serve as a backup to the Astrovan II, according to an agency spokesperson.

NASA has leased and rewrapped Boeing's Starliner Astrovan II for use as the Artemis II crew transport vehicle, as seen on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the countdown demonstration test (CDDT). (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) Artemis II crew members Victor Glover (right), Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen join commander Reid Wiseman who is already on board the Astrovan II crew transport vehicle for a rehearsal of their launch day activities on Dec. 20. 2025. (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Quelle: CS 

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Update: 27.12.2025

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As NASA's Artemis II prepares for lunar launch, tourists eye Space Coast

Artemis-2 Crew

With NASA’s Artemis II crew set to launch around the moon in early 2026, Brevard looks poised for its own launch of elevated tourism numbers as spectators and media descend on the Space Coast for the historic mission.

As soon as February 6, four astronauts will lift off on NASA’s SLS rocket from Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a 10-day mission which will return humanity to the vicinity of the moon for the first time since 1972.

When it launched in Nov. 2022, Artemis I drew record crowds, triggering traffic jams around Brevard County. And that mission was an uncrewed test flight.

Meagan Happel, Space Coast Office of Tourism public relations manager, told FLORIDA TODAY via email that during the Artemis I launch, nearby hotels were fully booked by companies involved in the project, out-of-town visitors and media eager to witness the event.

“Milestone launches like this have seen between 100,000-250,000 visitors heading to the Space Coast in the past few years,” wrote Happel. “We anticipate seeing similar crowds as Artemis II sends astronauts on a lunar flyby; the first time a crew has been in the vicinity of the moon since 1972’s Apollo 17 mission.”

Courtyard by Marriott and Hyatt Place which are located off U.S. 1 in Titusville —just across the river from the Kennedy Space Center — are already sold out through the targeted February launch dates.

In Cocoa Beach, Four Points by Sheraton and Hilton Garden Inn also are largely booked for those dates. Others still have availability but seem to be going fast.

Artemis II coincides with 250th USA anniversary

Happel adds that the planned Artemis II launch is especially meaningful because 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Many people will want to be here as the space program milestone falls on a celebratory year.

“There is a tremendous amount of excitement surrounding Artemis II, particularly as it marks the first crewed mission around the Moon in more than 50 years,” Russell Bruhn, senior communications manager at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex said in a statement to FLORIDA TODAY. “As anticipation for this historic launch builds, and based on attendance for the Artemis I launch, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex expects record-setting attendance.”

Those packing Brevard parks, beaches and the KSC Visitor Complex will not just be tourists, journalists are already locked in on coverage planning.

NASA representatives have said the agency has received an overwhelming number of media applications to cover the launch. The Kennedy Space Center press site, which is typically calm during regular crewed and science missions, is expected to be packed as media from all over the world descend on the Cape.

Due to the high demand, multiple media outlets as well as social media influencers have already received rejections to cover the launch from the press site, with some taking to social media to voice disappointment.

How to prepare ahead of Artemis II launch day

FLORIDA TODAY reported during the Artemis I launch that Florida Department of Transportation warned of backups on roads leading toward the Cape, including S.R. 528. Be sure to plan appointments and engagements carefully as we head closer to the launch day.

On launch day, leave early as popular viewing spots are likely to be packed.

Those who want to get close to the action, but are not media or NASA employees, can keep an eye out for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex launch viewing tickets. While not on sale yet, the experience is the closest the general public can get to a rocket launch.

While the launch date could move for a number of reasons, all indications are that NASA is aggressively targeting that early February period.

Quelle: Florida Today