Lockheed Martin completes Orion spacecraft for crewed Artemis II lunar mission

Lockheed Martin completes Orion spacecraft for crewed Artemis II lunar mission
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 02, 2025

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has finalized assembly and testing of NASA's Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission, officially transferring the vehicle to NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team. This handover marks a major milestone in NASA's campaign to return humans to the Moon and lay the groundwork for eventual crewed missions to Mars.

Designed for deep space exploration, Orion is NASA's most advanced human-rated spacecraft. As the program's prime contractor, Lockheed Martin produced the crew module, adaptor, and launch abort system.

"This achievement is a testament to our employees and suppliers who have worked tirelessly to get us to this important milestone," said Kirk Shireman, Lockheed Martin vice president of Human Space Exploration and Orion program manager. "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."

Building on the lessons of the uncrewed EFT-1 and Artemis I missions, Orion for Artemis II has been outfitted with systems essential for astronaut health and safety. These include life support components, user interfaces, voice communications, thermal and waste control, a fitness device, and a fully integrated Launch Abort System. New technologies onboard also include a partial suite of docking sensors and a prototype laser communications unit to test high-speed data transfer.

With assembly complete, EGS will now handle final launch preparations. The spacecraft will move from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center to processing facilities where propellants, oxygen, and water will be loaded. The launch abort system and protective fairings will then be installed. Orion will ultimately be mounted atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Targeted for an early 2026 launch, Artemis II will send astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day mission that flies 4,600 miles beyond the Moon before returning to Earth. The flight will validate Orion's performance in space with a crew, testing guidance, navigation, communication, and mission operations. The mission also includes a rendezvous exercise with the SLS upper stage, a key rehearsal for the Artemis III lunar landing.

Lockheed Martin continues Orion production for upcoming Artemis missions. Spacecraft for Artemis III and IV are in advanced stages at Kennedy, while Artemis V's pressure vessel is under construction at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility. The company holds contracts through Artemis VIII and has steadily reduced production costs with each successive vehicle.