NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have begun a multi-day training session at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for the upcoming Artemis II mission. The crew donned their spacesuits on July 31 and boarded the Orion spacecraft to test its systems and equipment.
The crew participated in a suited crew test, simulating launch day activities such as communications checkouts and suit leak checks. They also experienced close representations of what they can expect on launch day, including simulated orbital activities inside Orion. This training aims to prepare the astronauts for potential issues that may arise during their mission, allowing them to learn how to act quickly and address challenges in real-time.
The test provides a realistic experience with the actual hardware they will use during flight, enabling the crew and support teams to familiarize themselves with the equipment and make any final adjustments ahead of launch. NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program manager Shawn Quinn described the test as “the immense amount of work” that has gone into preparing for the mission.
The Artemis II mission is scheduled to take place around the Moon early next year, marking a significant milestone in the program. NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said the mission represents the best of American ingenuity and determination, carrying the pride, power, and promise of the United States. The crew’s preparation is crucial for the success of the mission, which aims to land Americans back on the Moon and pave the way for future missions to Mars.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/nasas-artemis-crew-trains-in-moonbound-orion-ahead-of-mission