Artemis Moon Program

[NMaude]

Another new video upload from Phillip Sloss concerning the current big picture with Artemis:

In this video, I look at where things stand with preparations and planning for the next three Artemis lunar missions, even as they face the possibility that President Trump and Elon Musk are going to shut them down. With that hanging over NASA's Exploration directorate, work still continues on Artemis II, III, and IV.

I'll look at how Exploration Ground Systems is stacking Artemis II in the Vehicle Assembly Building and the work that remains this year to get ready to launch that crewed, circumlunar mission. Musk's SpaceX is developing the critical piece for the Artemis III lunar landing mission, and I'll look at the big picture of where Starship is, along with work on the Axiom Space EVA suit, and downstream Orion and SLS production.

There's also the assembly work for most of the Artemis IV elements that continues, too, from Exploration Upper Stage to the Gateway modules to Mobile Launcher-2.

The fate of all of that work now rests on decisions and positions in Washington, D.C.; we're waiting to see where Trump and Musk's axe falls next, and whether anyone in power will object.

Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.Links to stories referenced:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/sp...
https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...s-republican-states-2025-02-12/&v=Jknk0I3P1d8
00:00 Intro
01:04 The big picture for Artemis II
05:32 Artemis III big picture
08:15 Artemis IV big picture
11:51 Everything depends on the political situation
15:16 Thanks for watching!

 

[southwestforests]

Another new video upload from Phillip Sloss concerning the current big picture with Artemis:

Well, at least that individual data point about work and decisions is a generalized universal truth no matter whether the program is done by government, corporation, or hypothetical lone wolf mad scientist,

The fate of all of that work now rests on decisions and positions

 

[NMaude]

Phillip Sloss has uploaded a new video concerning Artemis II with its SRBs completing stacking, Gateway components being shipped and first new build RS-25E:

In a week where there was more trash-talking than normal in the NASA news feed (except there's that whole "new normal" thing happening), I'll still stick with the boring technical stuff on Artemis here in this video. To begin with, I'm more interested in Exploration Ground Systems completing assembly of the Artemis II SLS solid rocket boosters on their Mobile Launcher in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.

Who knows how long Artemis will last and what it'll look like later, but for now EGS also gave me 30 minutes with Spacecraft/Offline Operations to talk about upcoming Artemis II Orion launch preparations. After prime contractor Lockheed Martin finishes assembly and test of the spacecraft, EGS will load the consumable commodities onboard (like hypergolic bipropellant), stack the Launch Abort System on top, and encapsulate the Crew Module. I'll provide an overview in this video before covering the whole deep dive in a future one.

The Gateway HALO module is almost ready to ship to the U.S. from Italy, and thanks to NSF/NASASpaceflight we got a good look at the current state of the primary structure in a Thales Alenia Space media event. (Link below to more NSF coverage of the media event.) I'll go over those pictures and a set of still images of the first new RS-25 flight engine built by L3Harris, which is now installed in the dedicated, single-engine test stand at Stennis Space Center for an upcoming green run/acceptance hot-fire test.

That engine would fly on Artemis V, provided not only that there is an Artemis V, but that SLS is still a part of it. That's always been a political question, and speaking of that NASA associate administrator Jim Free was let go, opting to resign/retire after only serving a year in that position. He championed the existing Artemis plans, which makes the White House giving him the option to quit a month after he was bypassed to be the acting NASA administrator yet another sign of future, programmatic changes.

Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.

NSF/NASASpaceflight This Week in Spaceflight video w/HALO tour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUBjhViTLkc&t=0s
• The Future of the ISS Just Got More C... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUBjhViTLkc&t=0s

Links to stories referenced:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/key-...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ver-us-moon-program-2025-02-19/&v=DScjQq-nfK8

Links to social media posts:
https://x.com/BCCarCounters/status/18...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ters/status/1893082845561647530&v=DScjQq-nfK8
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1892621...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...musk/status/1892621691060093254&v=DScjQq-nfK8
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1892627...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...musk/status/1892627928921329862&v=DScjQq-nfK8

00:00 Intro
01:00 Artemis II stacking update
03:17 Main takeaways from interview with EGS Spacecraft/Offline Operations
10:03 Gateway HALO module at Thales Alenia Space media event in Turin
10:45 NSF's Adrian Beil at the Turin media event
11:50 Additional reporting on Gateway status from NASA PAO
13:24 First new L3Harris RS-25 flight engine ready for acceptance test
15:36 NASA associate admin Jim Free is let go/resigns
16:26 Thanks for watching!

 

[publiusr]

It wasn’t that long ago, that the ISS camp and the SLS camp were at each other’s throats (ah-the good old days):

Dennis Wingo's article on "NASA's Solomon's Choice in 2014" (ISS vs. SLS/Orion)

Dennis Wingo's article on "NASA's Solomon's Choice in 2014" (ISS vs. SLS/Orion)

forum.nasaspaceflight.com

Who’d a thunk they’d both die?
Poor Dennis Wingo—he tried to save both:

Architecture Notes for Sustainable and Affordable Exploration

Introduction It has been interesting to watch and read about the potential new direction of American space policy in the new administration. I could say that about every new administration, but on…

denniswingo.wordpress.com

I’m hearing scuttlebutt about Trump moving 500 FBI positions to Huntsville to lessen the blow.

“The film you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of MSFC workers:

Diet Prada ™ on Instagram: "What a tool. At Thursday’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, Argentina’s self-described “anarcho-capitalist” president, Javier Milei, gifted Elon Musk his signature prop(aganda)—a chainsaw The

7,952 likes, 1,594 comments - diet_prada on February 21, 2025: "What a tool. At Thursday’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, Argentina’s self-described “anarcho-capitalist” president, Javier Milei, gifted Elon Musk his signature prop(aganda)—a chainsaw The custom...

www.instagram.com

Viewer discretion is advised:

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_oaviloCM2w

 

[NMaude]

Phillip Sloss uploaded a few hours ago a video (The first of several) concerning how NASA EGS will prep Orion for the upcoming Artemis II launch:

This is the first of a couple of videos previewing the work that NASA Exploration Ground Systems will be doing at Kennedy Space Center with the Artemis II Orion spacecraft when they receive it in a couple of months. Late last week I interviewed Marcos Pena, who is NASA Operations Manager for EGS Spacecraft/Offline Operations, and he went through the details of his team's work plan.

Mr. Pena's team will get the spacecraft ready for stacking on top of the SLS rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building; there's a lot of preparation that needs to be done -- loading storable propellants and other commodities onboard, stacking the Launch Abort System, and encapsulation.

In this first part of the interview, Mr. Pena went through that work and also the stacking preps they'll be doing in March on the SLS in-space, second stage, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, before it can go to the VAB for stacking.

Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.

00:00 Intro
01:08 What EGS Spacecraft/Offline Operations does
02:52 Multi-Payload Processing Facility overview, where Orion and ICPS are headed first
06:30 Artemis II ICPS trip to MPPF planned for early March
09:39 Orion handover to EGS, move to MPPF planned for late April
11:08 EGS projecting five months of work before Orion is ready to stack on SLS
16:30 Sequence of commodity loading onboard Orion in the MPPF
21:28 Potable water for the crew will be serviced later in the flow, when Orion is in the VAB
23:25 Critical path for the work in the MPPF
25:25 Thanks for watching, more coming in Part 2!

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894529905913647535

View: https://twitter.com/jackiewattles/status/1894529905913647535

 

[NMaude]

Does Isaacman have a good reputation?

 

[Flyaway]

Does Isaacman have a good reputation?

He comes across well in my view. And of course he’s walked the walk so to speak space wise.

 

[publiusr]

Poor Scott Pace got beat up enough-he cried uncle.

Elon better hope the next SS/SH goes off without a hitch.

 

[NMaude]

And of course he’s walked the walk so to speak space wise.

Actual time in orbit would certainly be a big positive factor.

 

[starviking]

I hope Isaccman realizes that of all US launchers capable of lofting potentially manned missions to the Moon, only SLS has gotten that far, to date.

 

[NMaude]

only SLS has gotten that far, to date.

Yup! While the Starship still has quite a few test-flights to go before it's operational.

 

[BlueAbyssal]

I hope Isaccman realizes that of all US launchers capable of lofting potentially manned missions to the Moon, only SLS has gotten that far, to date.

At the same time, without Starship, all the SLS can do is repeat Apollo 8, which isn't particularly worth the expenditure on it.

 

[starviking]

At the same time, without Starship, all the SLS can do is repeat Apollo 8, which isn't particularly worth the expenditure on it.

True in part. There is the Blue Origin lander too.

It may also be possible that the Starship Lunar Lander performs - but the Starship system as a whole either can’t or underperforms in the Lunar mission.

 

[southwestforests]

Given the present non-existence of a ready to fly human-crewed moon lander, is debate about delivery systems for that lander little more than some kind of exercise in academic rhetoric?

On the other hand, I do get that lander design and rocket design are interrelated, interdependent, whichever the correct word is.


And then on a bit of a tangent, it is going to take a pretty fair sized rocket to deliver Lunar use hardware such as the 1980s, 1990s, concepts in this Flickr album from NASA Johnson,
so SLS and Starship might conceivably be the minimum sizes/payload capability of rocket required if we, meaning humanity, are going to get serious about creating the infrastructure required for living off planet.

Exploration - Lunar

Explore this photo album by NASA Johnson on Flickr!

flic.kr

 

[NMaude]

I believe this is the right thread for this Scott Manley video concerning three competing Moon-lander designs:

Last month Firefly and iSpace launched their own independent lunar landers to on the same SpaceX rocket. In a few days we expect Intuitive Machines to launch on another Falcon 9. This means we're going to have 3 privately built lunar landers en route to the moon, before Firefly's Blue Ghost hopes to attempt a landing this weekend.

So why are there so many private companies building lunar landers? What are their plans and what differentiates their designs?

 

[Grey Havoc]

SpaceX rocket launches private moon lander and NASA 'trailblazer' to hunt for lunar water (video)

If all goes according to plan, the Athena lander will touch down near the moon's south pole on or around March 6.

www.space.com

 

[FighterJock]

Fingers and toes crossed that it lands on the Moon first.

 

[Flyaway]

Long-time advocate of SLS rocket says it’s time to find an “off-ramp”:

Long-time advocate of SLS rocket says it’s time to find an “off-ramp”

“A revised Artemis campaign plan should be a high priority for the new NASA Administrator.”…

arstechnica.com

House Committee Backs Moon-to-Mars, But Changes May Be Needed:

https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/house-committee-backs-moon-to-mars-but-changes-may-be-needed/

House hearing debates ways to improve Artemis:

House hearing debates ways to improve Artemis

Two former government officials offered conflicting advice to a House committee on how to change NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration campaign

spacenews.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

That does not bode well for the SLS.

 

[publiusr]

I hope Isaccman realizes that of all US launchers capable of lofting potentially manned missions to the Moon, only SLS has gotten that far, to date.

You can't tell libertarians that. Starships could fall apart for a century--and they'd still trash talk SLS.

So help me--but they handed out more of those card size political tests than fundies handed out Jack Chick tracts.

 

[BlueAbyssal]

True in part. There is the Blue Origin lander too.

It may also be possible that the Starship Lunar Lander performs - but the Starship system as a whole either can’t or underperforms in the Lunar mission.

Blue is well behind SpaceX, and there are no guarantees their lander will perform either. NASA’s own reports gave SpaceX the highest technical score.

In general: potential SLS cancellation is good for the US and for Artemis in the long term, not good for SLS fans, Alabama, and potentially Artemis in the short term if you think Starship can’t, won’t, or shouldn’t carry people to orbit.

 

[publiusr]

SuperHeavy seems to work well enough. I'd prefer SLS cores and expendable Starship upper stages to launch either station cores or probes

 

[Byeman]

SuperHeavy seems to work well enough. I'd prefer SLS cores and expendable Starship upper stages to launch either station cores or probes

More the same nonsense. SLS and SuperHeavy/Starship are mutually exclusive.

 

[Byeman]

You can't tell libertarians that. Starships could fall apart for a century--and they'd still trash talk SLS.

Can't tell that because it isn't true.

 

[NMaude]

More updates concerning Artemis II from Phillip Sloss:

This week's Artemis news starts on the political front: after Trump/Musk "go in a different direction" with NASA, another agency leader is out, Congress wants to know if Artemis can beat China back to the Moon, and a policy analyst recommends a phase out of SLS.

Launch preps continue: at the Kennedy Space Center, Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin got the Artemis II spacecraft ready for final installs, beginning with its solar array wings, and down at Starbase, SpaceX got the next Starship prototype ready for the eighth flight test in two years, following a mid-January test flight setback.

While Elon Musk contemplates DOGE changes to Artemis, he also revealed more SpaceX delays to Artemis-critical Starship technology demonstrations, out to 2026. NASA provided a little more Gateway imagery and Boeing provided an update on SLS Stages production.

Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.

00:00 Intro
00:51 NASA Exploration directorate head is next one out
02:15 House Science subcommittee hearing on Artemis
02:52 Representatives focused on China and the Moon, questions about skipping the Moon and going directly to Mars
06:00 Dr. Pace recommends SLS phase out, but not immediate termination
09:25 Questions about whether Starship can land astronauts on the Moon by 2030
12:50 Artemis II Orion prepared for solar array installs
15:51 SpaceX publishes preview for Starship flight test 8
18:23 Musk reveals that Starship prop transfer delayed until 2026
19:53 Other news and notes, starting with more Gateway PPE footage
20:30 A short SLS Stages production update from Boeing
21:48 Thanks for watching!

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-private-lunar-lander-blue-ghost.html

 

[Michel Van]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpHhEybJdxg


after success of Firefly aerospace Blue Ghost lander
it time for Intuitive Machines Athean to arrive in Lunar orbit
while Japanese lander is low energy trajectory to Moon for April landing

 

[FighterJock]

Looks like the the Moon is going to be rather busy this year I think Michel Van.

 

[martinbayer]

More the same nonsense. SLS and SuperHeavy/Starship are mutually exclusive.

Nothing is mutually exclusive in the worlds of finance or politics.

 

[martinbayer]

Fingers and toes crossed that it lands on the Moon first.

Define "first".

 

[Byeman]

Nothing is mutually exclusive in the worlds of finance or politics.

Musk won't allow it.

 

[NMaude]

Phillip Sloss has uploaded another update to do with Artemis II:

In the part 2 video covering my recent interview with Marcos Pena, NASA Operations Manager for Exploration Ground Systems Spacecraft/Offline Operations, we'll keep going over how EGS is going to get the Artemis II Orion ready at Kennedy Space Center for stacking on its SLS launch vehicle later this year.

He talked about how they are going to load the propellants and other commodities on Orion, testing with the Artemis II astronauts, and stacking the abort system. We also covered changes to their workplan since Artemis I and the SLS elements that his group will work on before they head over to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking by EGS Integrated Operations.

Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.

00:00 Intro
00:50 Fueling Orion for Artemis II also means loading consumable supplies for the astronauts
08:57 The Artemis II crew will get onboard their spacecraft for early testing in the MPPF
15:17 Encapsulating Orion for launch also means stacking the abort system on top
23:55 EGS Spacecraft/Offline Operations will also prep the SLS Orion connector for stacking in the VAB
26:54 Recapping the takeaways from the interview
29:26 Thanks for watching!

 

[martinbayer]

Musk won't allow it.

In an ideal world, that would be prime evidence of collusion, but I sadly agree that under the current *regime* it won't make any difference...

 

[Byeman]

In an ideal world, that would be prime evidence of collusion, but I sadly agree that under the current *regime* it won't make any difference...

Collusion? Musk, as majority owner of SpaceZX, has the right X rejected any plans to integrate SLS hardware into Starship/SuperBooster

 

[Byeman]

SuperHeavy seems to work well enough. I'd prefer SLS cores and expendable Starship upper stages to launch either station cores ..

No need for such station cores in the foreseeable future

 

[Michel Van]

Im-2 Athena landen made to moon surface, but got serious issue with electric power system after landing.

 

[southwestforests]

Im-2 Athena landen made to moon surface, but got serious issue with electric power system after landing.

Watched the landing coverage on NASA's YouTube. Very much enjoyed this internet age allowing that kind of thing.
Was so very much wanting it to go perfectly, especially after the previous effort's somewhat mixed result.
You think about all the time and effort the people who built it and operated it put in, and you want them to succeed.

(say, wasn't there a gal named Gilda Radner who wrote a book about spaceflight that's titled "It's Always Something"?)

 

[Michel Van]

i wonder is lander sideways on Moon again?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1897748180059734468

View: https://twitter.com/DJSnM/status/1897748180059734468

 

[Michel Van]

Intuitive Machines give news conference about IM-2

there clueless what happen during touchdown, why power supply is too low,
Not even what orientation IM-2 has on surface....