posted 06-26-2026 03:12 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Behling:
Shuttle had no backups.

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posted 08-22-2026 04:33 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by SpaceAngel:
Will any spacewalks be performed...

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posted 10-15-2026 01:53 PM               

Another great week of training down with some special events at the end. Helped transfer experience to the new Astronaut Support Person (ASP) that will be on the close out crew for launch.

posted 10-23-2026 03:57 PM               

• Prior to any launch, NASA will roll out the Space Launch System (SLS) to Pad 39A and conduct a wet dress rehearsal.

• Blue Origin will then launch its Blue Moon test lander. The MK1 can loiter for up to a month in orbit, if needed. Before Orion arrives, the Blue Origin team will make sure that the MK1 is healthy and ready to support rendezvous and docking operations.

• The SLS (with Orion and the Artemis III crew) will next launch into an elliptical orbit at 16 by 975 nautical miles. Over the first day, Orion will transition to about 300 nautical miles for thermal stability.

  The crew will spend the first two days checking out the Orion and setting up for proximity operations. During that time, Orion will maneuver down to a 237 nautical mile rendezvous orbit, which is where the Blue Origin MK1 will be waiting.

• On flight day three, Orion will rendezvous and dock with the Blue Moon MK1. Over the next two days, the crew will conduct operations docked with Blue Moon. They will open up the hatch and enter the lander. They will evaluate the environmental controls and the life support systems.

• On or about flight day six, after those operations are complete, SpaceX's Starship will launch from Florida. Orion will then undock from Blue Moon and adjust into a 206 nautical mile rendezvous orbit with Starship on flight day eight.

  The Starship for Artemis III will have a docking system that's built onto the nose cone. The crew will not enter Starship during the mission.

• Once Starship operations are complete, the crew will spend the remaining days of the mission available for additional test objectives before returning home. One such series is the Orion crew survival suit evaluations, which were planned for but never completed during Artemis II.

  The crew will also conduct docking sensor tests, collect acoustic and thermal measurements and perform human factors assessments inside Orion, as well as a wide range of science and technology demonstrations.

  NASA's human research program is going to conduct four studies that build upon the Artemis II experiments, including a proof of concept study for how crew could perform health-related assessments in situations where mission control isn't available.

  The crew will make Earth and Sun observations to continue their training in critical observation skills.

posted 10-23-2026 09:55 PM               

Following launch, Orion will initially enter an elliptical Earth orbit of 18 x 1122 miles (16 x 975 nautical miles). It will use its service module to perform a series of maneuvers to transition to a circular orbit at about 345 miles (300 nautical miles) for thermal stabilization before then gradually setting up its rendezvous with the waiting Blue Moon lander test article.

posted 10-24-2026 07:13 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by davidcwagner:
16 by 975 nautical miles? Perigee seems a little low at less than 98,000 feet.

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1. It is a temporary "Transfer" Trajectory

   When the Orion spacecraft separates from the SLS, it intentionally places them into an elliptical path where the highest point (apogee) is 975 miles, but the lowest point (perigee) is just 16 miles.

   The spacecraft does not actually dive down to the 16-mile point right away. Instead, it rides the high arc of the orbit. Well before it can swing down into the atmosphere—the upper stage fires its engines in a perigee raise maneuver. This push lifts the low point from 16 miles up to a safe and stable orbit above the atmosphere.

2. Built-in Safety and Rocket Disposal

   NASA designs the orbit this way on purpose for safety and debris mitigation.

   • Core Stage Disposal: By ensuring the initial perigee is only 16 miles, the massive SLS core rocket stage is guaranteed to fall back through the atmosphere and safely crash into the Ocean immediately after separation. It prevents the empty rocket body from becoming dangerous space junk.

   • Crew Safety: If the spacecraft's main engines fail to ignite for the perigee raise, the spacecraft doesn't get stuck in space. The atmosphere will naturally and safely pull the capsule back down for an emergency return, ensuring the astronauts aren't stranded.