NASA Installs Orion Capsule on SLS for Artemis II Lunar Mission Preparation

NASA's Artemis II mission has reached a critical milestone with the successful installation of the Orion spacecraft, named "Integrity," atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, moving the mission closer to its planned launch in early 2026. This mission marks NASA's first crewed flight test of Orion and SLS, with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen set to orbit the Moon on a free-return trajectory for about 10 days. Despite the ongoing government shutdown, work on Artemis II continues with approval from President Trump and the White House, ensuring no delay in the mission critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in the space race. The Artemis II mission will validate the integrated systems of Orion and SLS, paving the way for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface. NASA is managing to proceed with safety-critical operations during the shutdown by invoking precedents from past government funding interruptions, supported by NASA officials and acting Administrator Sean Duffy. This progress underscores NASA's commitment to returning humans to lunar orbit for the first time since 1972, setting the foundation for sustained human exploration of the Moon and beyond.