Source | Lockheed Martin

As of May 1, Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, Md., U.S.) has completed assembly and testing of NASA’s (Washington, D.C., U.S.) Orion Artemis II spacecraft, transferring possession to NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team today. The milestone is another step in the program as NASA prepares to launch a crew of four astronauts to further the agency's mission in establishing a human presence on the moon for exploration and scientific discovery. It will also help build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

What is Orion?

Orion is a human-rated, deep space spacecraft. Launching atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion will carry the crew to lunar orbit and safely return them to Earth on Artemis missions. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA built the crew module, crew module adaptor and launch abort system.

As reported in 2022 for Artemis I’s uncrewed Orion launch, the spacecraft features many composites innovations, including a European Service Module (ESM), which has a primary structure making high use of carbon fiber composites, a composite large connector (universal stage adapter) that links the launch vehicle and the service module, and a composite heat shield design.

Components of the Orion spacecraft. Source | NASA 

Uncrewed EFT-1 and Artemis I test flights were the first steps in validating the spacecraft’s core systems. Artemis II will put Orion through its final tests in deep space with a crew on board and will include learnings and significant enhancements gleaned from the Artemis I mission.