Read more at source.
Read more at source.
The Artemis II mission is a part of NASA's Artemis program, which intends to land astronauts on the lunar south pole and eventually establish a sustainable human presence on the moon. The program's first crewed lunar landing, Artemis III, will again use SLS and Orion, but will introduce SpaceX's enormous Starship rocket as a human-rated lunar lander. Artemis II won't land, but it will carry people to the vicinity of the moon for the first time since 1972.
The core stage for Artemis II arrived from its factory in Louisiana last year, and NASA began stacking the SLS solid rocket boosters in November. Other recent accomplishments include the installation of the Orion spacecraft's solar panels and the completion of the craft's service module at Kennedy Space Center with aerodynamic panels that will jettison during launch.
The iconic 52-story-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center played a crucial role in the core stage installation. The VAB's cavernous transfer aisle was used to lift the core stage from its cradle, and the structure was then rotated vertically. The core stage was then moved into the building's northeast high bay, where it was lowered between the SLS's twin solid rocket boosters.
The Artemis II mission marks a significant step in NASA's goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon, with an eye toward future expeditions to Mars.
