Artemis I Orion Spacecraft Awaits Launch

The Artemis I Orion spacecraft, secured on the Space Launch System (SLS) and enclosed in its launch abort system, is in view high up in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 10, 2022.
Work platforms are extended around Orion and scaffolding has been secured to allow access for inspection and processing work. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.

Photo credit: NASA/Corey Houston KSC-20220110-PH-CSH01_0068 Larger image