Lockheed Martin reported it has completed assembly and testing for the Orion Artemis II spacecraft, a manned mission that will flight-test NASA's deep-space exploration system around the Moon. The spacecraft has been transferred to NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team, the defense group added.
NASA's Artemis II program is scheduled for launch in April 2026 and will carry four astronauts around the moon, testing the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft with a crew for the first time.
This mission also will be a critical part of NASA's plan to establish a long-term presence on the Moon for science and exploration. According to Lockheed – which is NASA’s primary contractor for Orion, and built the crew module, crew module adaptor and launch abort system – the mission also will help advance plans for crewed missions to Mars.
"This achievement is a testament to our employees and suppliers who have worked tirelessly to get us to this important milestone," said Kirk Shireman, vice president of Human Space Exploration and Orion program manager at Lockheed Martin.
He continued: "The Orion spacecraft completion for Artemis II is a major step forward in our nation's efforts to develop a long-term lunar presence. It's exciting to think that soon, humans will see the Earth rise over the lunar horizon from our vehicle, while also traveling farther from Earth than ever before."
