The acting administrator of NASA, Sean Duffy, posted on X on October 24 local time, stating that the "Orion" spacecraft, which will carry out the "Artemis II" crewed lunar orbit mission, has been successfully mated with the "Space Launch System" (SLS) rocket, and is now ready for the crewed mission.

Duffy said this move marks an important step in the Artemis II mission. The spacecraft will carry four astronauts to perform a lunar orbit mission, which will be the first time the United States has sent astronauts to the Moon's orbit in over 50 years.

Screenshot from X

On the same day, Lockheed Martin, the developer of the "Orion" spacecraft, stated that the spacecraft was named "Endeavor" and was transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on October 19 local time, where it was hoisted onto the top of the SLS rocket. NASA and industry are working towards achieving this historic launch by early next year.

Lockheed Martin introduced that after the mating, the technical team will establish electrical and data connections between the spacecraft and the rocket, set up a "umbilical" connection between the mobile launch platform and the spacecraft, and conduct integration tests. After the tests are completed, the fully assembled system will be moved to the launch pad to prepare for the wet dress rehearsal scheduled for next year.

The company said the launch of the first crewed flight mission under the Artemis II program is expected to take place no earlier than February 2026, with a potential launch window lasting until April 2026, and the mission is expected to last 10 days.

The "Orion" spacecraft has completed its mating with the "Space Launch System" (SLS) rocket. Lockheed Martin

According to NASA, the "Orion" spacecraft was jointly developed by the agency and American company Lockheed Martin, and is currently the only spacecraft capable of performing crewed deep space flights and safely returning to Earth.

Since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, no American astronauts have landed on the Moon. In 2017, the United States proposed the "Artemis" program to return to the Moon, and completed its first uncrewed lunar orbit test in 2022. According to NASA's original plan, the Artemis III mission should have taken place in 2024. However, NASA announced last year that the Artemis II mission would be delayed to April 2026, and the Artemis III mission would be delayed to 2027.

This article is an exclusive report by Observer, and without authorization, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565381000440578596/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author. Welcome to express your opinion by clicking the 【Like/Dislike】 button below.