November 2, 2024

Artemis II Spacecraft Testing Begins in NASA’s Upgraded Altitude Chamber

Groups likewise installed a 30-ton crane in the O&C to raise and decrease the Orion crew and service module stack into the chamber, lift and lower the chambers lid, and move the spacecraft throughout the high bay.Significant Testing MilestonesOn Thursday, April 4, groups filled the Artemis II spacecraft into the elevation chamber. Later this summertime, groups will lift Orion back into the elevation chamber to conduct a test that imitates as close as possible the conditions in the vacuum of deep space.On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electro-magnetic compatibility and interference testing. The chamber control and tracking system was upgraded to handle operation of all the from another location managed hardware and subsystems that make up the vacuum screening capability.Project Management and Future Missions”It was an incredible chance to lead a varied and exceptional group to re-activate an ability for evaluating the NASAs next generation spacecraft that will carry humans back to the Moon,” said Marie Reed, West Altitude Chamber Reactivation Project Manager.

In preparation for screening, groups at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida have actually made substantial upgrades to the altitude chamber where testing will occur.Testing Facilities and ProceduresSeveral of the tests take location inside one of 2 elevation chambers in the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy. Teams likewise installed a 30-ton crane in the O&C to lift and reduce the Orion crew and service module stack into the chamber, lift and lower the chambers lid, and move the spacecraft across the high bay.Significant Testing MilestonesOn Thursday, April 4, teams loaded the Artemis II spacecraft into the altitude chamber. Later on this summer season, teams will lift Orion back into the altitude chamber to perform a test that replicates as close as possible the conditions in the vacuum of deep space.On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will go through electro-magnetic compatibility and disturbance testing. The chamber control and tracking system was upgraded to manage operation of all the remotely controlled hardware and subsystems that make up the vacuum testing capability.Project Management and Future Missions”It was an incredible opportunity to lead a diverse and exceptional team to re-activate a capability for checking the NASAs next generation spacecraft that will bring human beings back to the Moon,” said Marie Reed, West Altitude Chamber Reactivation Project Manager.”Team leads from the west elevation chamber reactivation task are pictured in Artemis equipment standing in front of the upgraded vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space.