NASA's Artemis II moon mission rocket core stage on way to Kennedy Space Center

NASA's Artemis II mission is one step closer to reality as the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, built by Boeing, is on its way to Kennedy Space Center. This crucial component, loaded onto NASA's Pegasus barge at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, is currently making a 900-mile journey to Florida.

Once it arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building, the core stage will be positioned upright, towering at 212 feet. The next phase involves integrating it with other elements of the SLS rocket, including the two solid rocket boosters from Northrop Grumman. Together, these boosters provide an impressive 8.8 million pounds of thrust during liftoff.

Artemis II, the upcoming mission scheduled for no earlier than September 2025, aims to take NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a historic excursion to the moon and back aboard the Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, Orion will serve as the primary vehicle for human space exploration.

This voyage to the moon marks a significant milestone, as it has been over half a century since humans last traveled to our celestial neighbor during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. With Artemis, NASA is endeavoring to achieve ambitious goals that inspire future generations, push scientific boundaries, and enhance U.S. competitiveness.

The SLS rocket assumes a central role in NASA's long-term lunar presence objectives. With plans for a lunar space station called Gateway, regular missions to the moon's south pole, and the exploration of resources such as ice for potential fuel and oxygen production, SLS remains the only rocket capable of carrying both crew and cargo for these ventures.

While the uncrewed version of Orion showcased a successful test flight during Artemis I in November 2022, the heat shield requires further analysis and refinement before human missions can proceed. NASA is committed to ensuring the safety and integrity of the spacecraft prior to crewed missions.

Looking ahead, Artemis III is projected to take place in September 2026, sending Orion back to the moon for a rendezvous with a lunar lander variant of SpaceX's Starship. This mission would enable two out of the four astronauts onboard Artemis III to descend to the lunar surface, marking a momentous occasion as the first woman steps foot on the moon.

The Artemis program, initiated in 2012 following the retirement of the Constellation program, has faced delays and increased costs. According to an audit by NASA's Office of the Inspector General in late 2023, the Artemis program's expenses were projected to exceed $93 billion for the first three missions, with the SLS rocket accounting for approximately $23.8 billion.

While NASA aimed to reduce costs to $1.25 billion per launch through various measures, including workforce reductions and improved manufacturing efficiencies, the auditors considered this goal unrealistic. However, with a new contract structure implemented in 2023, it is anticipated that rocket costs could decrease by 20% to approximately $2 billion for the first ten SLS launches.

Despite the challenges, NASA remains committed to the overarching goal set during the Obama administration's tenure: landing a human on Mars by 2040. As the SLS core stage for Artemis II reaches Kennedy Space Center, the focus now shifts towards launch readiness and the rigorous preparations for the first crewed flight under the Artemis program. 

Earlier, SSP wrote about NASA's 1st year-long mock Mars mission.