Artemis II: NASA expedites development of advanced upper-stage rocket to send humans to Moon

NASA’s tehnicians at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have completed a major portion of a weld confidence article for the advanced upper stage of NASA’s SLS rocket. (Image courtesy: NASA)

While four astronauts - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch from NASA, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen - undergo comprehensive training for their pivotal roles in Artemis II, the first human mission in half a century, technicians at the American Space Agency are readying the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft for a scheduled launch in November 2024.

Recently, a significant milestone was achieved as a crucial component, the weld confidence article for the liquid oxygen tank of the SLS rocket's exploration upper stage, was completed. This achievement marks the completion of the fifth piece out of seven, vital for the evolved SLS Block 1B configuration of the rocket.

The four astronauts will journey around the Moon inside the Orion spacecraft during an approximately 10-day mission in preparation for future lunar missions.

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Artemis II mission overview

With the upcoming Artemis II mission, NASA is poised to send the first woman and the first person of colour to the Moon for space exploration and preparations for future missions to Mars. SLS will help power Orion, NASA’s newest spacecraft built for deep space, to carry the four astronauts on a 10-day mission around the Moon and bring them home safely. Orion crew module’s interior will serve as their home for approximately 10 days. According to NASA, the SLS is the sole rocket capable of transporting the Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

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Artemis II will build upon the achievements of the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022. It is testing systems to support life in deep space for future Moon missions. The objective is not only to facilitate human expansion across the solar system but also to bring back new knowledge and opportunities to Earth. Following Artemis II, Orion and a crew of four will once again travel to the Moon in 2025, as part of Artemis III to make history with the first woman and next man to walk on its surface.

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Beginning with Artemis III, NASA intends to launch crewed missions about once per year. NASA is leading a return to the Moon programme of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system.