NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft undergoes testing for Moon mission
NASA's upcoming lunar spacecraft, the Artemis 2 Orion, has begun critical testing at the Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft is set to carry four astronauts on a lunar mission no earlier than September 2025. To ensure its readiness, NASA engineers have initiated a series of tests. The initial phase of testing is centered on assessing the Orion's "electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility," according to a NASA statement.
Test objectives
The goal of the testing is to make sure that the spacecraft can function effectively in both internally and externally-generated electromagnetic fields. This evaluation is crucial before the spacecraft's launch, making sure of its optimal performance during the mission.
Artemis 2 crew: A blend of firsts and experience
The Artemis 2 mission crew includes NASA commander Reid Wiseman, NASA pilot Victor Glover, who will be the first black person to leave low Earth orbit (LEO), and NASA mission specialist Christina Koch, set to be the first woman beyond LEO. Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen will also join them, to become the first non-American to achieve this feat.
Orion spacecraft housed in historic Apollo program chamber
The Orion spacecraft is currently located in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the Kennedy Space Center. This chamber has a rich lunar legacy, having been used to "test environmental and life support systems on the lunar and command modules during the Apollo program" that sent nine astronaut crews to the Moon between 1968 and 1972.
Chamber upgrades simulate high-altitude vacuum environment
The west chamber at the Kennedy Space Center, where Orion is housed, has been upgraded to "test the spacecraft in a vacuum environment that simulates an altitude of up to 76.2km," as per NASA's statement. The Orion was lifted into this chamber on April 4 using a freshly-installed 30-ton crane in the building, marking another step toward its readiness for the mission.
Artemis 2: First Orion spacecraft to carry astronauts
While the Orion spacecraft has journeyed into space twice before, Artemis 2 will mark the first mission with astronauts aboard. The mission will also test new systems, such as life support. After the altitude chamber testing, Orion will be moved to another area within the same building for Final Assembly and Systems Testing, where further altitude testing will be conducted.
Artemis program aims for lunar settlement by 2026
Artemis 2 is part of the manned Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon potentially as early as 2026 with Artemis 3. However, both missions were delayed in January 2024 due to technical complications. Artemis 2 has been delayed by approximately nine months, while Artemis 3 is projected to face an additional year of waiting. The ultimate goal of the NASA-led Artemis program is to establish a settlement at the Moon's south pole, near existing water resources.