NASA rolls its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule between the vehicle assembly building (VAB) and pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida using the crawler-transporter 2, the heaviest self-powered land vehicle on Earth. [Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett]
Key Takeaways:
NASA plans to launch the historic Artemis II crewed lunar flyby mission in April, aiming to test critical systems for future lunar landing attempts.
Officials acknowledge significant risk to the four astronauts, estimating the mission's failure probability to be "closer to 1 in 2" due to it being a first crewed test flight beyond low-Earth orbit.
Despite crew concerns, including higher-than-expected heat shield erosion on a previous uncrewed flight, NASA will proceed with a modified reentry profile for the Orion capsule and will not conduct a third wet dress rehearsal.
NASA on Thursday said it intends to attempt the launch of a historic, 10-day mission around the moon and back in April, following slips from launch windows in February and March.
Officials also acknowledged the mission—as with any journey beyond low-Earth orbit—may risk the lives of four crewmembers.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
