In a pivotal step toward returning astronauts to the Moon, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has officially completed and transferred NASA's Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission to the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team at Kennedy Space Center. The milestone marks the conclusion of spacecraft assembly and testing and signals the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed mission in NASA’s Artemis program.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program begin integrating the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the SLS (Space Launch System) launch vehicle stage adapter on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The four-story propulsion system, built by Boeing and ULA (United Launch Alliance), is powered by an RL10 engine that will enable the Orion spacecraft to build up enough speed for the push toward the Moon during the Artemis II crewed test flight. Credit : NASA/Isaac Watson
As the prime contractor for Orion, Lockheed Martin designed and built the spacecraft’s crew module, European service module adaptor, and the Launch Abort System (LAS) — key components that will safeguard astronauts and support deep space travel.
“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’s 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.”
Orion for Artemis II incorporates numerous upgrades informed by prior uncrewed missions — Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) and Artemis I. Outfitted with fully operational life support systems, thermal regulation, waste management, and voice communication capabilities, this version of Orion is engineered to sustain astronauts on extended missions beyond low Earth orbit. New onboard features include a partial suite of docking sensors and a laser communications prototype for high-speed data transmission back to Earth.
With the handover now complete, NASA’s EGS team will conduct the next critical phase: launch integration and processing. Orion will be transferred from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to specialized facilities for loading propellants, oxygen, and water. The Launch Abort System and protective aerodynamic fairings will be installed before Orion is stacked atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Artemis II, currently scheduled for early 2026, will carry four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen — on a 10-day mission that will take them 4,600 miles beyond the Moon before returning to Earth. This mission will be the first to validate Orion’s full suite of capabilities with a human crew, including guidance, navigation, communication systems, and crew operations in deep space. A rendezvous maneuver with the SLS upper stage will also simulate mission-critical operations ahead of the Artemis III lunar landing.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin continues to advance the Orion production line. The Artemis III and Artemis IV spacecraft are in late stages of integration at Kennedy Space Center, while the pressure vessel for Artemis V is under construction at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The company holds NASA contracts through Artemis VIII and reports steady cost reductions and manufacturing efficiencies with each successive build.
The Artemis II mission not only represents a major step toward sustainable lunar exploration but also lays the technical and operational foundation for future crewed missions to Mars.
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