NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft has completed a crucial journey, moving from the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Launch Abort System Facility. The spacecraft is now being integrated with its launch abort system, designed to carry astronauts to safety in case of an emergency.
The Orion spacecraft arrived at Kennedy’s MPPF in May and underwent fueling and testing. Technicians loaded propellants, gases, and fluids necessary for the 10-day journey around the Moon and back. The crew also participated in tests inside the spacecraft, donning their spacesuits to test equipment interfaces.
Once integration is complete, Orion will be transported to High Bay 3 in NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be connected to its Moon rocket. The Artemis II mission will send astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a lunar flyby and return them safely home.
This marks the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign, aiming to return Americans to the lunar surface and prepare for future human missions to Mars.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2025/08/11/nasas-artemis-ii-orion-spacecraft-moves-closer-to-launch