105-461: Exploration Flight Test-1 or EFT-1 (previously known as Orion Flight Test 1 or OFT-1 ) was a technology demonstration mission and the first flight test of the crew module portion of the Orion spacecraft . Without a crew, it was launched on 5 December 2014 at 12:05 UTC (7:05 am EST , local time at the launch site) by a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37B at
210-579: A Launch Abort System (LAS) along with a "Boost Protective Cover" (made of fiberglass ), to protect the Orion CM from aerodynamic and impact stresses during the first 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 minutes of ascent. Orion is designed to be 10 times safer during ascent and reentry than the Space Shuttle . The CM is designed to be refurbished and reused. In addition, all of Orion's component parts have been designed to be as modular as possible, so that between
315-663: A "reverse flow" design. On July 9, 2008, NASA announced that ATK had completed construction of a vertical test stand at a facility in Promontory, Utah to test launch abort motors for the Orion spacecraft. Another long-time space motor contractor, Aerojet , was awarded the jettison motor design and development contract for the LAS. As of September 2008, Aerojet has, along with team members Orbital Sciences, Lockheed Martin and NASA, successfully demonstrated two full-scale test firings of
420-620: A Canadian-built robotic arm system for the Gateway. Also delivered will be NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle . Launch is scheduled for no earlier than March 2030. The mission will also be the first to use Blue Origin 's Blue Moon lander to take astronauts to the Moon's surface. Artemis VI (2031) is planned to be the fourth crewed lunar landing, which will integrate the Crew and Science Airlock with
525-756: A Human Landing System. NASA Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWit said he thought the agency has "a very good shot" to get this budget through Congress despite Democratic concerns around the program. However, in July 2020 the House Appropriations Committee rejected the White House's requested funding increase. The bill proposed in the House dedicated only US$ 700 million toward the Human Landing System, 81% (US$ 3 billion) short of
630-749: A Navy-built, 18,000-pound (8,200 kg) boilerplate in a test pool. Full sea testing ran April 6–30, 2009, at various locations off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center with media coverage. On May 7, 2009, the Obama administration enlisted the Augustine Commission to perform a full independent review of the ongoing NASA space exploration program. The commission found the then-current Constellation Program to be woefully under-budgeted with significant cost overruns, behind schedule by four years or more in several essential components, and unlikely to be capable of meeting any of its scheduled goals. As
735-700: A Space Launch System rocket and an Orion spacecraft to the Lunar Gateway and will be the third lunar landing of the Artemis program. In addition, Artemis V will deliver two new elements to the Gateway space station. After docking to the Gateway, two astronauts will board the Blue Moon lunar lander and fly it to the Lunar south pole to land near the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). This will be
840-572: A boilerplate (mock-up) Orion capsule to an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 m). The test used three solid-fuel rocket motors – the main thrust motor, an attitude control motor and the jettison motor. In 2009, during the Constellation phase of the program, the Post-landing Orion Recovery Test (PORT) was designed to determine and evaluate methods of crew rescue and what kind of motions
945-549: A consequence, the commission recommended a significant re-allocation of goals and resources. As one of the many outcomes based on these recommendations, on October 11, 2010, the Constellation program was canceled, ending development of the Altair, Ares I, and Ares V. The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle survived the cancellation and was transferred to be launched on the Space Launch System. The Orion development program
1050-526: A crew vehicle for a return to the Moon. The crew/command module was originally intended to land on solid ground on the US west coast using airbags but later changed to ocean splashdown, while a service module was included for life support and propulsion. With a diameter of 5 meters (16 ft 5 in) as opposed to 3.9 meters (12 ft 10 in), the Orion CEV would have provided 2.5 times greater volume than
1155-609: A crew with the International Habitation Module (I-Hab) and adding the module to the Gateway space station. SLS Block 1B manufacture began in March 2024. The I-Hab module construction was underway as of April 2024. In May 2024, it was reported NASA made significant progress towards completion of Mobile Launcher 2 (ML-2), the launch platform that will be used by the larger SLS Block 1B. However, in August 2024,
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#17327904016321260-662: A heavy-lift Ares V launch vehicle for lunar missions. NASA performed environmental testing of Orion from 2007 to 2011 at the Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio . The Center's Space Power Facility is the world's largest thermal vacuum chamber . ATK Aerospace successfully completed the first Orion Launch Abort System (LAS) test on November 20, 2008. The LAS motor could provide 500,000 lbf (2,200 kN ) of thrust in case an emergency situation should arise on
1365-504: A jettison motor (JM). The AM provides the thrust needed to accelerate the capsule, while the ACM is used to point the AM and the jettison motor separates the LAS from the crew capsule. On July 10, 2007, Orbital Sciences , the prime contractor for the LAS, awarded Alliant Techsystems (ATK) a $ 62.5 million sub-contract to "design, develop, produce, test and deliver the launch abort motor," which uses
1470-526: A large near-Earth asteroid and use robotic arms with anchoring grippers to retrieve a 4-meter boulder from the asteroid. A secondary objective was to develop the required technology to bring a small near-Earth asteroid into lunar orbit – "the asteroid was a bonus." There, it could be analyzed by the crew of the Orion EM-5 or EM-6 ARCM mission in 2026. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of
1575-410: A lightweight crew capsule proposed by Bigelow Aerospace in collaboration with Lockheed Martin. It was to be based on the Orion spacecraft that Lockheed Martin was developing for NASA. It was never developed. It was to be a lighter, less capable and a less expensive version of the full Orion. Orion Lite was intended to provide a stripped-down version of the Orion that would be available for missions to
1680-492: A lunar flyby. Flights are expected to achieve a yearly cadence from Artemis IV onward in 2028. A proposal curated by William H. Gerstenmaier before his 10 July 2019 reassignment suggests four launches of the crewed Orion spacecraft and logistical modules aboard the SLS Block 1B to the Gateway. The crewed Artemis 4 through 7 would launch yearly, testing in situ resource utilization and nuclear power on
1785-771: A partial launch abort system containing only the jettison motor. It was equipped with an Orion-to-stage adapter for testing. The spacecraft remained attached to the dummy service module, which in turn remained attached to the Delta IV's upper stage (which is nearly identical to the Interim Cryogenic Upper Stage to be used on the Block 1 version of the Space Launch System rocket) until re-entry began and relied on internal batteries for power rather than photovoltaic arrays . Data gathered from
1890-584: A similar capsule, the CST-100 , which has no Orion heritage, and was one of the two systems selected under NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program to transport crew to the ISS. Orion Lite's primary mission would be to transport crew to the International Space Station (ISS), or to private space stations such as the planned B330 from Bigelow Aerospace. While Orion Lite would have
1995-465: A support mission to place a Starship Human Landing System (HLS) in a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) of the Moon prior to the launch of SLS/Orion. After Starship HLS reaches NRHO, SLS/Orion will send the Orion spacecraft with a crew of four to dock with HLS. Two astronauts will transfer to HLS, which will descend to the lunar surface and spend about 6.5 days on the surface. The astronauts will perform at least two Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) on
2100-541: Is Hansen's backup; she will join the mission if Hansen is unable to. Glover, Koch, and Hansen are planned to be the first person of color , woman, and non-US citizen to go beyond low Earth orbit , respectively. Hansen and Sidey-Gibbons are Canadian and have been assigned by the Canadian Space Agency ; a 2020 treaty between the United States and Canada led to their involvement. Artemis III
2205-464: Is a key capability necessary to complete the Artemis III mission. A ship-to-ship propellant transfer demonstration to further prove out the capability is expected in 2025. The European Service Module for the mission was reported on track to be handed over to NASA in summer 2024. The first integrated test for the mission, which included the next generation space suits developed by Axiom Space, and
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#17327904016322310-779: Is being manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen , Germany. NASA announced on January 16, 2013, that the ESA service module will first fly on Artemis I , the debut launch of the Space Launch System. Testing of the European service module began in February 2016, at the Space Power Facility . On February 16, 2017, a €200 million contract was signed between Airbus and the European Space Agency for
2415-620: Is built of aluminium-lithium alloy . The reusable recovery parachutes are based on the parachutes used on both the Apollo spacecraft and the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters , and constructed of Nomex cloth. Water landing is the exclusive means of recovery for the Orion CM. To allow Orion to mate with other vehicles, it will be equipped with the NASA Docking System . The spacecraft employs
2520-795: Is designed to support future missions to send astronauts to Mars, probably to take place in the 2030s. Since the Orion capsule provides only about 2.25 m (79 cu ft) of living space per crew member, the use of an additional Deep Space Habitat (DSH) module featuring propulsion will be needed for long-duration missions. The complete spacecraft stack is known as the Deep Space Transport . The habitat module will provide additional space and supplies, as well as facilitate spacecraft maintenance, mission communications, exercise, training, and personal recreation. Some concepts for DSH modules would provide approximately 70.0 m (2,472 cu ft) of living space per crew member, though
2625-639: Is expected to launch in September 2026 as the first crewed landing on the Moon since Apollo 17. In February 2024, NASA completed full qualification testing of the docking systems on Starship HLS . Also in February, the bulk of the manufacturing for the core stage of the SLS to be used in the mission was completed. In April 2024, NASA announced the successful completion of Starship’s first internal propellant transfer demonstration. The Starship’s tanker variant ability to act as an orbital propellant depot to Starship HLS
2730-469: Is planned for availability before Artemis IV. The Gateway will be resupplied and supported by launches of Dragon XL spacecraft launched by Falcon Heavy. Each Dragon XL will remain attached to Gateway for up to six months. The Dragon XLs will not return to Earth, but will be disposed of, probably by deliberate crashes on the lunar surface. The Artemis program incorporates several major components of previously cancelled NASA programs and missions, including
2835-572: Is planned for early 2031. After Artemis VI, NASA plans yearly landings on the Moon from then on. However, the NASA Inspector General has called the schedules unrealistic. The Artemis program is organized around a series of SLS missions. These space missions will increase in complexity and are scheduled to occur at intervals of a year or more. NASA and its partners have planned Artemis I through Artemis V missions; later Artemis missions have also been proposed. Each SLS mission centers on
2940-593: Is planned to be the first crewed test flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft. The four crew members will perform extensive testing in Earth orbit, and Orion will then be boosted into a free-return trajectory around the Moon , which will return Orion to Earth for re-entry and splashdown. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than September 2025. Artemis III (2026) is planned to be the first American crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The mission depends on
3045-530: Is the fictional story of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. On 15 November 2021, an audit of NASA's Office of Inspector General estimated the true cost of the Artemis program at about $ 93 billion until 2025. In addition to the initial SpaceX contract, NASA awarded two rounds of separate contracts in May 2019 and September 2021, on aspects of the HLS to encourage alternative designs, separately from
3150-574: Is to establish a permanent base on the Moon to facilitate human missions to Mars . Two principal elements of the Artemis program are derived from the now-cancelled Constellation program : the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) (as a reincarnation of Ares V ). Other elements of the program, such as the Lunar Gateway space station and the Human Landing System , are in development by government space agencies and private spaceflight companies, collaborations bound by
3255-667: The Artemis Accords and governmental contracts. The Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft and the Human Landing System form the main spaceflight infrastructure for Artemis, and the Lunar Gateway plays a supporting role in human habitation. Supporting infrastructures for Artemis include the Commercial Lunar Payload Services , development of ground infrastructures , Artemis Base Camp on the Moon, Moon rovers, and spacesuits. Some aspects of
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3360-640: The Artemis III crewed lunar landing is scheduled for late 2026, the Artemis IV docking with the Lunar Gateway is planned for late 2028, the Artemis V docking with the European Space Agency's ESPRIT , Canada's Canadarm3, and NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle is planned for early 2030, and the Artemis VI docking which is expected to integrate the Crew and Science Airlock with the Lunar Gateway station
3465-705: The Biden administration endorsed the Artemis program. More specifically, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki expressed the Biden administration's "support [for] this effort and endeavor". On 16 April 2021, NASA contracted SpaceX to develop, manufacture, and fly two lunar landing flights with the Starship HLS lunar lander. Blue Origin and Dynetics protested the award to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on 26 April. After
3570-733: The Boeing 787 . It incorporates an "autodock" feature, like those of Progress , the Automated Transfer Vehicle , and Dragon 2 , with provision for the flight crew to take over in an emergency. It has waste-management facilities, with a miniature camping-style toilet and the unisex "relief tube" used on the Space Shuttle. It has a nitrogen/oxygen ( N 2 / O 2 ) mixed atmosphere at either sea level (101.3 kPa or 14.69 psi ) or reduced (55.2 to 70.3 kPa or 8.01 to 10.20 psi) pressure. The CM
3675-567: The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station . The mission was a four-hour, two-orbit test of the Orion crew module featuring a high apogee on the second orbit and concluding with a high-energy reentry at around 8.9 kilometers per second (20,000 mph). This mission design corresponds to the Apollo 2/3 missions of 1966, which validated the Apollo flight control system and heat shield at re-entry conditions planned for
3780-793: The Constellation program and the Asteroid Redirect Mission . Originally legislated by the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 , Constellation included the development of Ares I , Ares V , and the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. The program ran from the early 2000s until 2010. In May 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama established the Augustine Committee to take into account several objectives including support for
3885-569: The European Service Module (ESM) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space . Capable of supporting a crew of four beyond low Earth orbit , Orion can last up to 21 days undocked and up to six months docked. It is equipped with solar panels , an automated docking system , and glass cockpit interfaces. A single AJ10 engine provides the spacecraft's primary propulsion, while eight R-4D-11 engines, and six pods of custom reaction control system engines developed by Airbus, provide
3990-607: The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) second stage, which performs the trans-lunar injection burn to send Orion to lunar space. For Artemis I, Orion braked into a polar distant retrograde lunar orbit and remained for about six days before boosting back toward Earth. The Orion capsule separated from its service module, re-entered the atmosphere for aerobraking , and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean under parachutes. Artemis II (2025)
4095-506: The International Space Station , development of missions beyond low Earth orbit (including the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth objects ), and use of the commercial space industry within defined budget limits. The committee concluded that the Constellation program was massively underfunded and that a 2020 Moon landing was impossible. Constellation was subsequently put on hold. On 15 April 2010, President Obama spoke at
4200-480: The Kennedy Space Center . Artemis I was completed at 09:40 PST (17:40 UTC) on 11 December, when the Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, after a record-breaking mission, which saw Artemis travel more than 2.3 million kilometers (1.4 million miles) on a path around the Moon before returning safely to Earth. The splashdown occurred 50 years to
4305-530: The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 , which included requirements for the immediate development of the Space Launch System as a follow-on launch vehicle to the Space Shuttle , and continued development of a Crew Exploration Vehicle to be capable of supporting missions beyond low Earth orbit starting in 2016, while making use of the workforce, assets, and capabilities of the Space Shuttle program , Constellation program, and other NASA programs. The law also invested in space technologies and robotics capabilities tied to
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4410-505: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration . Artemis program The Artemis program is a Moon exploration program led by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), formally established in 2017 via Space Policy Directive 1 . It is intended to reestablish a human presence on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The program's stated long-term goal
4515-554: The "crawl, walk, run" approach established by PORT. The "crawl" phase was performed August 12–16, 2013, with the Stationary Recovery Test (SRT). The SRT demonstrated the recovery hardware and techniques that were to be employed for the recovery of the Orion CM in the protected waters of Naval Station Norfolk using the LPD-17 type USS Arlington as the recovery ship. The "walk" and "run" phases were performed with
4620-691: The 2030s were still intended as of May 2019 . In mid-2019, NASA requested US$ 1.6 billion in additional funding for Artemis for fiscal year 2020, while the Senate Appropriations Committee requested from NASA a five-year budget profile which is needed for evaluation and approval by Congress . In February 2020, the White House requested a funding increase of 12% to cover the Artemis program as part of its fiscal year 2021 budget . The total budget would have been US$ 25.2 billion per year with US$ 3.7 billion dedicated toward
4725-569: The Apollo CM. The service module was originally planned to use liquid methane (LCH 4 ) as its fuel, but switched to hypergolic propellants due to the infancy of oxygen/methane-powered rocket technologies and the goal of launching the Orion CEV by 2012. The Orion CEV was to be launched on the Ares I rocket to low Earth orbit, where it would rendezvous with the Altair lunar lander launched on
4830-539: The Apollo capsule and will carry four astronauts. After extensive study, NASA selected the Avcoat ablator system to provide heat protection encountered during reentry for the Orion crew module. Avcoat, which is composed of silica fibers with a resin in a honeycomb made of fiberglass and phenolic resin , was formerly used on the Apollo missions and on the Space Shuttle orbiter for early flights. The CM uses Glass cockpit digital control systems derived from those of
4935-464: The DSH module is in its early conceptual stage. DSH sizes and configurations may vary slightly, depending on crew and mission needs. The mission may launch in the mid-2030s or late-2030s. The Asteroid Redirect Mission ( ARM ), also known as the Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization ( ARU ) mission and the Asteroid Initiative , was a space mission proposed by NASA in 2013. The Asteroid Retrieval Robotic Mission (ARRM) spacecraft would rendezvous with
5040-417: The GAO rejected the protests, Blue Origin sued NASA over the award, and NASA agreed to stop work on the contract until 1 November 2021 as the lawsuit proceeded. The judge dismissed the suit on 4 November 2021 and NASA resumed work with SpaceX. On 25 September 2021, NASA released its first digital, interactive graphic novel in celebration of National Comic Book Day. "First Woman: NASA's Promise for Humanity"
5145-519: The Gateway space station. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than March 2031. As of 2024, the Airlock module is under construction. Support missions include robotic landers, delivery of Gateway modules, Gateway logistics, delivery of the HLS, and delivery of elements of the Moon base. Most of these missions are executed under NASA contracts to commercial providers. Under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, several robotic landers will deliver scientific instruments and robotic rovers to
5250-457: The International Space Station earlier than the more capable Orion, which is designed for longer duration missions to the Moon and Mars . Bigelow had begun working with Lockheed Martin in 2004. A few years later Bigelow signed a million-dollar contract to develop "an Orion mockup, an Orion Lite", in 2009. The proposed collaboration between Bigelow and Lockheed Martin on the Orion Lite spacecraft has ended. Bigelow began work with Boeing on
5355-445: The Kennedy Space Center , announcing the administration's plans for NASA and cancelling the non-Orion elements of Constellation on the premise that the program had become nonviable. He instead proposed US$ 6 billion in additional funding and called for development of a new heavy-lift rocket program to be ready for construction by 2015 with crewed missions to Mars orbit by the mid-2030s. On 11 October 2010, President Obama signed into law
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#17327904016325460-421: The NASA Inspector General estimated that the launch platform could end up costing the agency $ 2.5 billion, more than six times its original value and may not be ready to support a launch until 2029, making the current launch schedule unrealistic. NASA has highlighted five key points for the mission (in chronological order): Artemis V is expected to launch in March 2030. The mission will launch four astronauts on
5565-488: The NASA administrator to "lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the Solar System and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities". The effort intends to more effectively organize government, private industry, and international efforts toward returning humans to the Moon and laying the foundation of eventual human exploration of Mars . Space Policy Directive 1 authorized
5670-414: The Orion program had expended funding totaling $ 22.9 billion in nominal dollars. This is equivalent to $ 29.4 billion in 2024 dollars using the NASA New Start Inflation Indices. In 2024, the US Congress approved "up to" $ 1.339 billion for the NASA Orion spacecraft. Excluded from the prior Orion costs are: For 2021 to 2025, NASA estimates yearly budgets for Orion from $ 1.4 to $ 1.1 billion. In late 2015,
5775-490: The Orion program was assessed at a 70% confidence level for its first crewed flight by 2023, but in January of 2024 NASA announced plans for a first crewed flight of Orion no earlier than September 2025. There are no NASA estimates for the Orion program recurring yearly costs once operational, for a certain flight rate per year, or for the resulting average costs per flight. However, a production and operations contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2019 indicated NASA will pay
5880-428: The Orion spacecraft. The Orion capsule used for EFT-1 is now on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex , in the "NASA Now" exhibit. Orion (spacecraft)#Crew Module Orion ( Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle or Orion MPCV ) is a partially reusable crewed spacecraft used in NASA 's Artemis program . The spacecraft consists of a Crew Module (CM) space capsule designed by Lockheed Martin and
5985-404: The SLS core stage for Artemis II was the last to be fully built at the Michoud Assembly Facility : future missions starting with Artemis III will have the core stage partly built after arriving at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, managed by Exploration Ground Systems , which was deemed to be more efficient by program officials. In July, the Orion spacecraft was moved from the testing cell to
6090-453: The Space Launch System, and the Orion spacecraft for deep space missions, while reducing Earth science research and calling for the elimination of NASA's education office. On 11 December 2017, President Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1 , a change in national space policy that provides for a U.S.-led, integrated program with private sector partners for a human return to the Moon, followed by missions to Mars and beyond. The policy calls for
6195-401: The Underway Recovery Test (URT). Also using an LPD 17 class ship, the URT was performed in more realistic sea conditions off the coast of California in early 2014 to prepare the US Navy / NASA team for recovering the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion CM. The URT tests completed the pre-launch test phase of the Orion recovery system. Orion Lite is an unofficial name used in the media for
6300-418: The airlock module of Starship HLS was conducted in June 2024. The NASA Inspector General has called the development schedule for Artemis III unrealistic and estimated that the Moon landing could be pushed to as late as 2028, saying that NASA officials had raised the possibility of using Artemis III to complete an additional fly-by of the Moon rather than a lunar landing mission. In March 2024, NASA announced
6405-487: The altitude chamber inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. Rocket stacking operations began on 20 November 2024, when the left aft assembly of the booster was stacked onto the Mobile Launcher. The stacking marked a crucial step for launch in late 2025. Artemis II is to be crewed by four astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman , Pilot Victor J. Glover , Payload Specialist Christina Koch , and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen . Jenni Sidey-Gibbons
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#17327904016326510-418: The astronaut crew could expect after landing, including conditions outside the capsule for the recovery team. The evaluation process supported NASA's design of landing recovery operations including equipment, ship and crew needs. The PORT Test used a full-scale boilerplate (mock-up) of NASA's Orion crew module and was tested in water under simulated and real weather conditions. Tests began March 23, 2009, with
6615-537: The craft's first test flight in 2014 and its projected Mars voyage in the 2030s, the spacecraft can be upgraded as new technologies become available. As of 2019, the Spacecraft Atmospheric Monitor is planned to be used in the Orion CM. In May 2011, the ESA director general announced a possible collaboration with NASA to work on a successor to the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). On June 21, 2012, Airbus Defence and Space announced that they had been awarded two separate studies, each worth €6.5 million, to evaluate
6720-421: The data and are not directly available. This was done by design to lower NASA's expenditures" in 2017. The idea for a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) was announced on January 14, 2004, as part of the Vision for Space Exploration after the Space Shuttle Columbia accident . The CEV effectively replaced the conceptual Orbital Space Plane (OSP), a proposed replacement for the Space Shuttle. A design competition
6825-436: The day since NASA's Apollo 17 Moon landing, the last human crewed mission to touch down on the lunar surface. Artemis II is scheduled to launch in September 2025 as a crewed lunar flyby. The European Service Module for the mission was completed and handed over to NASA in 2023. Testing is underway on the Orion module for Artemis II. In April 2024, Lockheed was on track to hand over the Orion module by September after testing
6930-401: The first lunar landing since Apollo 17 to use an unpressurized lunar rover. NASA has highlighted five key points for the mission (in chronological order): Artemis VI is expected to launch in March 2031. According to NASA, the primary objectives of this mission would be to integrate the Crew and Science Airlock Module with Gateway and complete the fourth crewed lunar surface expedition of
7035-488: The first two Lunar Gateway modules to NRHO. The extra power of this mission's SLS Block 1B will allow it to deliver the I-HAB Gateway module for connection to the Lunar Gateway. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than September 2028. Artemis V (2030) is planned to be the third crewed lunar landing, which will deliver four astronauts to the Lunar Gateway station. The mission will deliver the European Space Agency 's ESPRIT refueling and communications module and Canadarm3 ,
7140-408: The heat shield to temperatures up to around 2,200 °C (4,000 °F). After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, crews from the USS Anchorage recovered the EFT-1 Orion crew vehicle. Plans were later made to outfit the capsule for an ascent abort test in 2017. NASA heavily promoted the mission, collaborating with Sesame Street and its characters to educate children about the flight test and
7245-480: The initial HLS development effort. It announced in March 2022 that it was developing new sustainability rules and pursuing both a Starship HLS upgrade (an option under the initial SpaceX contract) and new competing alternative designs. These came after criticism from members of Congress over lack of redundancy and competition, and led NASA to ask for additional support. Artemis I was originally scheduled for late 2016, and as delays accrued, eventually for late 2021, but
7350-425: The initial contract to commission an upgraded Starship HLS for Artemis IV and a separate contract to Blue Origin to develop a third crewed lunar lander, which will make its first crewed flight as part of the Artemis V mission. The first two Gateway modules (PPE and HALO) will be delivered to NRHO in a single launch using a Falcon Heavy launcher. Originally planned to be available prior to Artemis III, as of 2021 it
7455-546: The jettison motor. This motor is used on every flight, as it separates the LAS from the vehicle after both a successful launch and a launch abort. With the announcement in 2019 of the intent to procure a Human Landing System for Artemis missions, NASA provided Orion mass and propulsion capability values. After separation from the SLS upper stage, the Orion is expected to have a mass of 26,375 kg (58,147 lb) and be capable of performing maneuvers requiring up to 1,050 m/s (3,445 ft/s) of delta-v . The Orion MPCV
7560-467: The launch date was then pushed back to 29 August 2022. Various delays related to final infrastructure repairs and weather pushed the launch date further out. In October 2022, NASA launch managers decided on a new launch date in November, which were again slightly delayed due to preparation and weather. On 16 November at 01:47:44 EST (06:47:44 UTC), Artemis I successfully launched from
7665-426: The launch of an SLS launch vehicle carrying an Orion spacecraft . Missions after Artemis II will depend on support missions launched by other organizations and spacecraft for support functions. Artemis I (2022) was the successful uncrewed test of the SLS and Orion, and was the first test flight for both craft. The Artemis I mission placed Orion into a lunar orbit and then returned to Earth. The SLS Block 1 design uses
7770-585: The launch pad or during the first 300,000 feet (91 km) of the rocket's climb to orbit. On March 2, 2009, a full size, full weight command module mockup (pathfinder) began its journey from the Langley Research Center to White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico for at-gantry launch vehicle assembly training and for LES testing. On May 10, 2010, NASA successfully executed the LES PAD-Abort-1 test at White Sands, launching
7875-433: The lunar surface after Artemis I. Additional CLPS missions are planned throughout the Artemis program to deliver payloads to the Moon base. These include habitat modules and rovers in support of crewed missions. A Human Landing System (HLS) is a spacecraft that can convey crew members from NRHO to the lunar surface, support them on the surface, and return them to NRHO. Each crewed landing needs one HLS, although some or all of
7980-675: The lunar surface environment on space crops. The third instrument is the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer, or LDA, an internationally contributed payload that will measure the regolith's ability to propagate an electric field. Artemis IV is expected to launch in September 2028. Prior to the launch of the mission, a Falcon Heavy is planned to launch the first two Lunar Gateway elements: the Power and Propulsion Element and Habitation and Logistics Outpost , now scheduled for 2027 . Artemis IV will then be responsible for launching with
8085-548: The lunar surface with a partially reusable lander. Artemis 7 would deliver a crew of four astronauts to a surface lunar outpost known as the Lunar Surface Asset. The Lunar Surface Asset would be launched by an undetermined launcher and would be used for extended crewed lunar surface missions. Another repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is also possible. The Orion capsule
8190-457: The lunar-focused campaign. The campaign, later named Artemis, draws upon legacy US spacecraft programs, including the Orion space capsule, the Lunar Gateway space station, and Commercial Lunar Payload Services , and creates entirely new programs such as the Human Landing System. The in-development Space Launch System is expected to serve as the primary launch vehicle for Orion, while commercial launch vehicles will launch various other elements of
8295-498: The more durable heat shield of the Orion would be replaced with a lighter weight heat shield designed to support the lower temperatures of Earth atmospheric re-entry from low Earth orbit. Additionally, the current proposal calls for a mid-air retrieval , wherein another aircraft captures the descending Orion Lite module. To date, such a retrieval method has not been employed for crewed spacecraft, although it has been used with satellites . The first crewed flight, Artemis II , will be
8400-674: The overall space exploration framework, ensured continued support for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services , Commercial Resupply Services , and expanded the Commercial Crew Development program. On 30 June 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to re-establish the National Space Council , chaired by Vice-President Mike Pence . The Trump administration's first budget request kept Obama-era human spaceflight programs in place: Commercial Resupply Services, Commercial Crew Development,
8505-442: The possibilities of using technology and experience gained from ATV and Columbus related work for future missions. The first looked into the possible construction of a service module which would be used in tandem with the Orion CM. The second examined the possible production of a versatile multi purpose orbital vehicle. On November 21, 2012, the ESA decided to develop an ATV -derived service module for Orion. The service module
8610-470: The prime contractor $ 900 million for the first three Orion capsules and $ 633 million for the following three. In 2016, the NASA manager of exploration systems development said that Orion, SLS, and supporting ground systems should cost "US$ 2 billion or less" annually. NASA will not provide the cost per flight of Orion and SLS, with associate administrator William H. Gerstenmaier stating "costs must be derived from
8715-614: The production of a second European service module for use on the first crewed Orion flight, Artemis II . On October 26, 2018, the first unit for Artemis I was assembled in full at Airbus Defence and Space's factory in Bremen, Germany. In the event of an emergency on the launch pad or during ascent, the Launch Abort System (LAS) will separate the crew module from the launch vehicle using three solid rocket motors: an abort motor (AM), an attitude control motor (ACM), and
8820-408: The program have been criticized, such as the use of a near-rectilinear halo orbit and the program's sustainability. Orion's first launch on the Space Launch System was originally set in 2016, but faced numerous delays; it launched on 16 November 2022 as the Artemis I mission, with robots and mannequins aboard. According to plan, the crewed Artemis II launch is expected to take place in late 2025,
8925-469: The program. On 26 March 2019, Vice President Mike Pence announced that NASA's Moon landing goal would be accelerated by four years with a planned landing in 2024. On 14 May 2019, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced that the new program would be named Artemis , after the goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology who is the twin sister of Apollo . Despite the immediate new goals, Mars missions by
9030-477: The proposed Lunar Gateway . The spacecraft's life support, propulsion, thermal protection, and avionics systems can be upgraded as new technologies become available. At launch, the Orion spacecraft includes both crew and service modules, a spacecraft adapter and an emergency launch abort system. The Orion 's crew module is larger than Apollo 's and can support more crew members for short or long-duration missions. The European service module propels and powers
9135-440: The remainder of the spacecraft was completed. The Delta IV rocket was put in a vertical position on 1 October 2014, and Orion was mated with the vehicle on 11 November. The four-and-a-half-hour flight took the Orion spacecraft on two orbits of Earth. Peak altitude was approximately 5,800 kilometres (3,600 mi). The high altitude allowed the spacecraft to reach reentry speeds of up to 8.9 km/s (20,000 mph), which exposed
9240-419: The requested amount. In April 2020, NASA awarded funding to Blue Origin, Dynetics, and SpaceX for 10-month-long preliminary design studies for the HLS. Throughout February 2021, Acting Administrator of NASA Steve Jurczyk reiterated those budget concerns when asked about the project's schedule, clarifying that "The 2024 lunar landing goal may no longer be a realistic target [...]". On 4 February 2021,
9345-431: The return from lunar missions. EFT-1 tested various systems of the crew module portion of the Orion spacecraft , including separation events , avionics , heat shielding , parachutes , and recovery operations prior to its flight aboard the Space Launch System rocket on the Artemis I mission. The Orion was not equipped with its companion European Service Module , using only a structural representation, and only had
9450-454: The same basic configuration as the Apollo command and service module (CSM) that first took astronauts to the Moon, but with an increased diameter, updated thermal protection system, and other more modern technologies. It is designed to support long-duration deep space missions with up to 21 days of active crew time plus 6 months' quiescent spacecraft life. During the quiescent period, crew life support would be provided by another module, such as
9555-481: The same exterior dimensions as the Orion, there would be no need for the deep space infrastructure present in the Orion configuration. As such, the Orion Lite would have been able to support larger crews of around 7 people as the result of greater habitable interior volume and the reduced weight of equipment needed to support an exclusively low-Earth-orbit configuration. In order to reduce the weight of Orion Lite,
9660-505: The scientific instruments to be included on the mission were a compact, autonomous seismometer suite called the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station, or LEMS. LEMS will characterize the regional structure of the Moon's crust and mantle to inform the development of lunar formation and evolution models. Another instrument is Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora, a.k.a. LEAF, which will investigate the impact of
9765-407: The spacecraft as well as storing oxygen and water for astronauts. Orion relies on solar energy rather than fuel cells, which allows for longer missions. The Orion crew module (CM) is a reusable transportation capsule that provides a habitat for the crew, provides storage for consumables and research instruments, and contains the docking port for crew transfers. The crew module is the only part of
9870-403: The spacecraft may be reusable. Each HLS must be launched from Earth and delivered to NRHO in one or more launches. The initial commercial contract was awarded to SpaceX for two Starship HLS missions, one uncrewed and one crewed as part of Artemis III. These two missions each require one HLS launch and multiple fueling launches, all on SpaceX Starship launchers. NASA later exercised an option under
9975-559: The spacecraft that returns to Earth after each mission and is a 57.5° frustum shape with a blunt spherical aft end, 5.02 meters (16 ft 6 in) in diameter and 3.3 meters (10 ft 10 in) in length, with a mass of about 8.5 metric tons (19,000 lb). It was manufactured by the Lockheed Martin Corporation at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans , Louisiana. It has 50% more volume than
10080-492: The spacecraft's secondary propulsion. Orion is intended to be launched atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with a tower launch escape system . Orion was conceived in the early 2000s by Lockheed Martin as a proposal for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) to be used in NASA's Constellation program and was selected by NASA in 2006. Following the cancellation of the Constellation program in 2010, Orion
10185-458: The surface before the HLS ascends to return them to a rendezvous with Orion. Orion will return the four astronauts to Earth. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than September 2026. Artemis IV (2028) is planned to be the second crewed lunar landing mission. Orion and an upgraded Starship HLS will dock with the Lunar Gateway station in NRHO prior to the landing. A prior support mission will deliver
10290-695: The test flight were analyzed by the critical design review (CDR) in April 2015. Artemis I launched on 16 November 2022, more than seven years after EFT-1. Orion CM-001 used on the EFT-1 mission was built by Lockheed Martin . On 22 June 2012, the final welds of the EFT-1 Orion were completed at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana . It was then transported to Kennedy Space Center 's Operations and Checkout Building , where
10395-472: Was announced by NASA on May 24, 2011. Its design is based on the Crew Exploration Vehicle from the canceled Constellation program , which had been a 2006 NASA contract award to Lockheed Martin. The command module is being built by Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly Facility , while the Orion service module is being built by Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen with funding from the European Space Agency. The CM's first uncrewed test flight (EFT-1)
10500-403: Was complete. A NASA OIG report released on May 1 reported the mission was still on track, provided corrective actions on the Orion heat shield were made. The Artemis II crew planned to conduct a series of trainings and simulations prior to launch, the first of which occurred in May. The SLS core stage for the mission was delivered to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in July 2024. Notably,
10605-493: Was extensively redesigned for use in NASA's Journey to Mars initiative; later named Moon to Mars. The SLS became Orion's primary launch vehicle, and the service module was replaced with a design based on the European Space Agency 's Automated Transfer Vehicle . A development version of Orion's crew module was launched in 2014 during Exploration Flight Test-1 , while at least four test articles were produced. Orion
10710-402: Was held, and the winner was the proposal from a consortium led by Lockheed Martin. It was later named "Orion" after the stellar constellation and mythical hunter of the same name, and became part of the Constellation program under NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe . Constellation proposed using the Orion CEV in both crew and cargo variants to support the International Space Station and as
10815-576: Was launched without the EUS atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket on December 5, 2014, and lasted 4 hours and 24 minutes before landing at its target in the Pacific Ocean . On November 30, 2020, it was reported that NASA and Lockheed Martin had found a failure with a component in one of the Orion spacecraft's power data units but NASA later clarified that it did not expect the issue to affect the Artemis I launch date. For fiscal years 2006 through 2023,
10920-562: Was primarily designed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, Colorado , with former Space Shuttle engineer Julie Kramer White at NASA as Orion's chief engineer. As of 2022 , three flight-worthy Orion spacecraft were under construction, with one completed and an additional one ordered, for use in NASA's Artemis program . The first completed unit, CM-002, was launched on November 16, 2022, on Artemis I . Orion uses
11025-598: Was restructured from three different versions of the Orion capsule, each for a different task, to the development of the MPCV as a single version capable of performing multiple tasks. On December 5, 2014, a developmental Orion spacecraft was successfully launched into space and retrieved at sea after splashdown on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). Before EFT-1 in December 2014, several preparatory vehicle recovery tests were performed, which continued
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