NASA has finished assembling the rocket, which will send the next team of astronauts to the moon. This is an important stage of preparation for the historic mission of Artemis 2, which will be the first manned flight within the framework of the program to return a man to the moon.
Orion spacecraft, which was named Integrity, was transported the other day through the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the legendary Rocket Assembly Building (VAB). There, the device was installed on top of the super-heavy Space Launch System rocket (SLS), finally completing the assembly of the entire structure before launch.
This is a big milestone for the mission, which NASA prioritizes even during the current shutdown of US government agencies.
Challenges and delays of the Artemis program
The Artemis program has repeatedly encountered delays. Problems with Orion's heat shield, which were discovered after the return of Artemis 1, led to a gap of more than three years between the first two missions.
Despite this, Artemis 2 progressing on schedule, and NASA notes an increase in the rate of work. At the same time, the main reason for further delays may be the readiness of the SpaceX Starship spacecraft, which is to act as a landing module for Artemis 3.
NASA Administrator Sean Duffy suggested in an interview with CNBC, that Artemis 3, most likely, will take place in 2028 year, and the agency is currently considering other lunar landing options.
Source: https://www.space.com