National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM

ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS,

MEET YOUR RIDE

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2023 HIGHLIGHTS
ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS, 

MEET YOUR RIDE

ARTEMIS II

During recent visits to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and 

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in 

Huntsville, Alabama, the astronauts who 

will fly the Artemis II mission received an 

up-close tour of elements of the NASA 

SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that 

will launch them to the Moon. The Nov. 16 

visit to Michoud occurred on the one-year 

anniversary of the successful Artemis I 

launch. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman 

(commander) and Christina Koch (mission 

specialist) along with CSA astronaut 

Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist) saw 

the 212-foot core stage, outfitted with its 

four RS-25 liquid-propelled engines. Along 

with Artemis II Pilot Victor Glover, the 

astronauts will fly around the Moon to test 

NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

NASA, Boeing, the core stage lead 

contractor, along with Aerojet Rocketdyne, 

an L3Harris Technologies company and 

the RS-25 engines lead contractor, are 

conducting final integrated testing on the 

fully assembled rocket stage. At launch 

and during ascent to space, the Artemis 

astronauts inside Orion will feel the power 

of the SLS rocket’s four RS-25 engines 

producing more than 2 million pounds of 

thrust for eight minutes. The super-heavy 

lift rocket’s twin solid rocket boosters, 

which flank either side of the core stage, 

will each add an additional 3.6 million 

pounds of thrust for two minutes.

The Orion stage adapter (OSA) is a ring 

structure that connects Orion to the SLS 

rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage 

and is fully manufactured at Marshall. At 

5 feet tall and weighing 1,800 pounds, the 

adapter is the smallest major element of 

the SLS rocket. The adapter’s diaphragm 

serves as a barrier to prevent gases 

created during launch from entering the 

spacecraft.

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3SjMnff

and go.nasa.gov/47URIzv

Artemis II astronauts Victor 

Glover, left, and Jeremy Hansen, 

right, view and sign the Artemis 

II Orion stage adapter (OSA) 

for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch 

System) rocket at NASA’s 

Marshall Space Flight Center 

in Huntsville, Alabama, during 

a visit Nov. 27. The adapter 

connects Orion to the SLS.

SLS Flight Software Lead 

Engineer Dan Mitchell, left, shows 

Reid Wiseman and Christina 

Koch the Software Integration 

Laboratory (SIL) at NASA’s 

Marshall Space Flight Center in 

Huntsville, Alabama, during a visit 

Nov. 27. The SIL is used to test 

the software that flies SLS.

The Artemis II crew, Jeremy 

Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor 

Glover, and Reid Wiseman 

(left to right) meets with the 

workforce at NASA’s Marshall 

Space Flight Center in 

Huntsville, Alabama, during a 

visit to the center Nov. 27.

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NASA PREPARES ARTEMIS II 

MOON ROCKET CORE STAGE 

FOR FINAL ASSEMBLY PHASE

All four RS-25 engines have been installed and integrated onto the SLS core stage for NASA’s Artemis II mission. The installation of the 

engines signals the core stage nearly is finished with assembly and will soon be ready for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in 

Florida. During launch, the rocket’s engines provide more than two million pounds of combined thrust.

NASA and its partners fully secured and integrated the four RS-25 engines onto the core stage of the 

agency’s SLS rocket for the Artemis II flight test Oct. 6. 

The core stage, and its engines, is the backbone of the 

SLS super-heavy lift rocket that will power the flight test, 

the first crewed mission to the Moon under the Artemis 

campaign. 

ARTEMIS II

Engineers are performing final integration testing at 

Michoud in preparation for acceptance ahead of shipment 

of the stage to Kennedy in the coming months. Once 

testing of the stage is complete and the hardware passes 

its acceptance review, the core stage will be readied for 

shipping to Kennedy via the agency’s Pegasus barge, 

based at Michoud. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3HzowDs

3
NASA CONDUCTS FIRST 

HOT FIRE OF NEW RS-25 

CERTIFICATION TEST SERIES

NASA completed a full-duration, 550-second hot fire of the RS-25 certification engine Oct. 17, beginning a critical test series to support 

future SLS missions to deep space as NASA explores the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.

NASA conducted the first hot fire of a new RS-25 test series Oct. 17, beginning the final round of certification 

testing ahead of production of an updated set of the engines 

for SLS. The new engines will help power future Artemis 

missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V.

Operators fired the RS-25 engine for more than nine minutes 

(550 seconds), longer than the 500 seconds engines must 

fire during an actual mission, on the Fred Haise Test Stand 

at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, near Bay St. Louis, 

Mississippi. Operators also fired the engine up to the 111% 

power level needed during an SLS launch. The hot fire 

marked the first in a series of 12 tests scheduled to end in 

early 2024. The tests are a key step for lead SLS engines 

contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies 

company. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/49aAKOp

ARTEMIS V

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EARLY PRODUCTION CONTINUES 

ON EXPLORATION UPPER STAGE 

FOR NASA MOON ROCKET

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have completed a major portion of a weld confidence article for 

the exploration upper stage of SLS’s Block 1B configuration.

Technicians at Michoud have completed a major portion of a weld confidence article for the exploration 

upper stage of SLS. The hardware was rotated to a 

horizontal position and moved to another part of the 

facility Oct. 24.

The weld confidence article forms part of the liquid 

oxygen tank for the SLS rocket’s exploration upper 

stage and is the fifth of seven weld confidence articles 

engineers are manufacturing for the evolved SLS Block 

1B configuration of the rocket. Beginning with Artemis 

IV, SLS will evolve to its more powerful Block 1B 

configuration with the more powerful rocket’s exploration 

upper stage and that gives the rocket the capability to 

launch 40% more payload to the Moon and with Artemis 

astronauts inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

Teams use weld confidence articles to verify welding 

procedures, interfaces between the tooling and hardware, 

and structural integrity of the welds. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3vVC7SY

ARTEMIS IV

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ARTEMIS II

ARTEMIS II CREW SIGNS NASA 

MOON ROCKET HARDWARE AT 

MARSHALL

Artemis II NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch of NASA, 

and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut 

Jeremy Hansen signed the OSA for the SLS at 

Marshall Nov. 27. The hardware is the topmost 

portion of the SLS rocket that they will launch 

atop during Artemis II when the four astronauts 

inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft will venture 

around the Moon.

NASA is working to land the first woman and 

first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. 

SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space 

exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, 

advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in 

orbit around the Moon, and commercial human 

landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that 

can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to 

the Moon in a single launch. Through Artemis, 

NASA will explore more of the lunar surface than 

ever before and prepare for the next giant leap: 

sending astronauts to Mars. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/47URIzv

Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, 

Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, and 

Victor Glover sign the SLS Orion stage 

adapter for the Artemis II mission during 

their visit at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight 

Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Nov. 27.

6
ARTEMIS II BOOSTER SURGES 

AHEAD AT NASA’S KENNEDY 

SPACE CENTER

Engineers and technicians process and inspect the propellant of the right forward center segment of SLS solid rocket boosters for the 

Artemis II mission inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Monday, Nov. 27.

I

nside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at 

Kennedy, engineers and technicians processed the right 

forward center segment of SLS Nov. 28. The segments 

will form the twin solid rocket boosters for the SLS rocket 

that will power NASA’s Artemis II mission. The team has 

been inspecting each segment, after arriving via rail in 

September, and lifting it to a vertical position to ensure 

each segment is ready for integration and launch. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3On5nYW

ARTEMIS II

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NASA CONTINUES PROGRESS 

ON ARTEMIS III SLS ADAPTER 

WITH KEY JOINT INSTALLATION

The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter, which partially encloses the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and contains the 

separation system between the core stage and interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion, is in a production area.

Engineers and technicians at Marshall recently installed a key component called the frangible joint assembly 

onto the adapter that connects the core stage to the upper 

part of SLS. The cone-shaped adapter, called the launch 

vehicle stage adapter (LVSA), will be part of the SLS superheavy lift rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis III mission 

ARTEMIS III

to the Moon. The frangible joint sits atop the adapter and 

operates as a separation mechanism. The frangible joint 

is designed to break apart upon command, allowing the 

interim cryogenic propulsion stage, Orion spacecraft, and 

the crew inside Orion to quickly separate from the SLS 

core stage and LVSA. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3SCR97Z

8
NASA TEAMS PREPARE 

SLS-TO-SPACECRAFT 

CONNECTOR FOR ASSEMBLY

Teams at Marshall recently rotated the OSA – a ring structure that connects NASA’s Orion spacecraft to 

the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, - in preparation 

for the installation of its diaphragm. The installation Nov. 

30 marks one of the final steps for the adapter before it is 

readied for shipment to Kennedy via NASA’s Super Guppy 

cargo aircraft.

“The diaphragm is a composite, dome-shaped structure 

that isolates the volume above the interim cryogenic 

Technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, install the diaphragm of the Artemis II OSA.

propulsion stage from that below Orion,” said Brent 

Gaddes, lead for the Orion stage adapter, in the 

Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office for the 

SLS Program at Marshall. “It serves as a barrier between 

the two, preventing the highly flammable hydrogen gas 

that could escape the rocket’s propellant tanks from 

building up beneath the Orion spacecraft and its crew 

before and during launch.” 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3SCJfww

ARTEMIS II

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I AM ARTEMIS:

ERIC BORDELON

Eric Bordelon, a multimedia specialist at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, stands in front of a weld confidence article that 

forms part of the liquid oxygen tank for SLS’s future exploration upper stage.

As a child, Eric Bordelon had posters of the space shuttle in his room. Now, he takes photos and video 

for NASA as a multimedia specialist at Michoud. Known 

as NASA’s rocket factory, the facility is where structures 

for NASA’s Apollo, shuttle, and now, NASA’s SLS rocket 

and Orion spacecraft are produced for Artemis missions.

Bordelon joined the NASA team in 2007, working with the 

external tank program for the space shuttle at Michoud. 

One of Bordelon’s favorite aspects of the job is being a 

part of the storytelling involving Michoud’s rich history, 

including documenting the facility transition from the 

Space Shuttle Program to the SLS Program. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3umfl69

ARTEMIS II

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ARTEMIS II

11

I AM ARTEMIS: 

BRUCE ASKINS

Growing up, Bruce Askins was passionate about spaceand oceanography. His desire to explore other worlds 

made him want to be an astronaut. Though he did not 

become an astronaut, Askins has built a 42-year career 

at NASA, and, as the infrastructure management lead for 

NASA’s SLS Program at Marshall, Askins plays an integral 

part for the next generation of explorers.

Bruce Askins, a 42-year NASA veteran, is the infrastructure management lead for NASA’s SLS Program.

Askins and his team are the gatekeepers and protectors 

of data and responsible for both cybersecurity and 

physical security for the SLS Program. Under Askins’ 

leadership, his team ensures all data is stored properly, 

that information about the rocket shared outside NASA is 

done with proper data markings, and access is given to 

those that need it. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/42plZ8w
WHAT’S NEW IN SLS SOCIAL MEDIA

COMPONENT FOR 

TESTING FUTURE 

SLS MODEL 

INSTALLED

Crews at NASA’s Stennis Space Center 

near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, cleared a 

milestone, installing a key component in 

preparation for future Green Run testing of the 

SLS exploration upper stage. The exploration 

upper stage is the upper stage that will be 

used for future SLS rockets in the Block 1B 

configuration, beginning with Artemis IV. 

See more here: bit.ly/3SDa5oj

SLS OSA “FLIPPED” FOR 

INSTALLATION OF DIAPHRAGM

Technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in 

Huntsville, Alabama, recently rotated, or “flipped,” the 

smallest major element for NASA’s SLS rocket to install 

a critical component Nov. 30. The 5-foot, 1,800-pound 

Orion stage adapter connects NASA’s Orion spacecraft 

to the SLS rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage 

and is fully manufactured at Marshall. The recently 

installed diaphragm acts as a barrier to prevent gases 

created during the Artemis II launch from entering the 

spacecraft. 

Watch here: bit.ly/3SjF3A9

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SLS ON THE ROAD

TALKING SCIENCE IN THE QUEEN CITY

SLS team members participated at the Association of Science and Technology Centers conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Oct. 

7-10. Along with other members of the NASA Artemis team, they spoke with science-engagement professionals and leaders in science 

and technology centers and museums as well as allied organizations across North America and around the world about NASA’s return of 

humans to the Moon.

HOOPS IN THE ROCKET CITY

SLS team members, along with 

colleagues from NASA’s Marshall 

Space Flight Center in Huntsville, 

Alabama, met with fans and space 

enthusiasts before an Auburn 

University basketball game in 

Huntsville Dec. 13.

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SPACEFLIGHT 

PARTNERS:

Manufacturing 

Technology. Inc. 

LOCATION: South Bend, Indiana

WHAT THEY DO FOR SLS:

Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) 

has a proud history of partnering 

with Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris 

Technologies company and NASA on 

several key space flights over several 

decades. MTI has supported NASA 

from inertia welding the powerhead 

main injector on the Space Shuttle 

Main Engine in the 1980s, to current 

friction welding support for NASA’s 

Artemis campaign.

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