Lockheed Martin has detailed a successful conclusion of NASA’s Artemis I mission by the Orion spacecraft splashdown and recovery.
Per Lockheed Martin, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion spacecraft, and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center performed flawlessly during the Nov. 16 Artemis I launch. Orion traveled over 1.4 million miles on a path taking it around and beyond the Moon before returning to Earth.
Orion is the safest human spacecraft ever developed, and the launch and ground systems were designed to deliver greater mass and volume with more Earth-orbit departure energy than any existing system.
The next step in NASA’s Artemis program is launching the first crewed flight to the Moon and back on the Artemis II mission. All elements for that mission are deep into assembly. Work on Artemis III, which aims to put the first woman and person of color on the Moon, is well underway, with many of the systems, such as the propulsion for SLS and Orion, nearly complete.
Lockheed Martin noted the firm is the prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft, including the Launch Abort System (LAS), crew module, and crew module adaptor.
Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Jacobs, and Northrop Grumman serve as other industry partners with the project.