NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team recently joined and connected the Lockheed Martin-developed Orion spacecraft with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the upcoming Artemis II mission. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity by its astronaut crew, was transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center, where it was lifted atop the SLS rocket in High Bay 3 on Oct. 19. This marks a major milestone for the Artemis II mission as NASA and industry work toward a historic launch to the Moon with four astronauts early next year.

"Integration of SLS and Orion represents a major milestone in our progress on Artemis," said Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. "Soon, we will be launching four astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over half a century on Artemis II — the latest demonstration of American dominance in space."

Following the mating, teams will make electrical and data connections between Orion and SLS, along with umbilical connections from the mobile launch platform to the spacecraft. EGS will conduct integrated tests of Orion and SLS before they are rolled out to Launch Pad 39B for a wet dress rehearsal next year.

"The full stack of Orion on the SLS is a truly spectacular sight," said Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space. "Our teams have been working tirelessly to finalise these last steps and ensure Orion takes the crew to the Moon and brings them home safely."

The first crewed flight of the Artemis program is set to launch no earlier than February 2026, with potential launch windows extending through April 2026. The mission will be 10 days and is a key event in establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for exploration and science. Orion is the most advanced, human-rated, deep space spacecraft ever developed. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA for Orion and built the crew module, crew module adaptor and launch abort system.

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