The Artemis II crew and NASA successfully conducted a simulated launch day test at the Kennedy Space Center, preparing for their upcoming Moon mission. The Artemis II crew and teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program successfully completed the first in a series of integrated ground sy
Artemis II astronauts, from left, NASA astronaut Victor Glover , CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman stand on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, September 20. The test ensures the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day.
The crew awoke at their crew quarters inside Kennedy’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkouts building before putting on test versions of the Orion crew survival system spacesuits they will wear on launch day. They then departed in NASA’s new Artemis Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen stand in the white room on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Credit: NASASuccessful completion of this test ensures both the crew and the ground systems teams at Kennedy are prepared and understand the timeline of their events for launch day.
Throughout its trajectory, the crew will be hands-on, piloting Orion during proximity operations and evaluating various systems. This involves checking life support systems during different metabolic states, like exercise and sleep. They’ll also test communication and navigation systems, ensuring readiness for the lunar flyby. In essence, the long period around Earth is a comprehensive space systems test bed.