Going Back to the Moon with Orion
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft atop arrived at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17, 2022, in preparation for a final test before its Artemis I Moon mission later this year.
With Artemis, NASA will establish long-term exploration at the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. NASA’s SLS and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are its foundation for deep space exploration.
The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration. This test mission will validate the spacecraft, rocket, and ground systems, paving the way for crewed missions to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.