NASA's Artemis II mission gears up for crewed lunar journey
NASA just connected the Orion stage adapter to its massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Kennedy Space Center—a major step toward sending astronauts around the Moon in 2026.
This adapter isn't just a connector; it shields the Orion spacecraft from launch gasses and will help send some mini-satellites into orbit too.
Adapter to release CubeSats for experiments in high Earth orbit
Besides prepping for a crewed lunar trip, Artemis II is all about teamwork and science.
The adapter will release four CubeSats—tiny satellites from South Korea, Germany, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia—to run experiments in high Earth orbit.
Soon, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will be getting ready for their ride around the Moon.
It's a cool mix of global collaboration and next-gen space exploration—plus one more step toward humans heading to Mars someday.