Kennedy Space Center

NASA Stacks First Artemis II Segment on Mobile Launcher

Engineers and technicians with the Exploration Ground Systems Program stack the first Moon rocket segment – the left aft assembly for the Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket booster onto mobile launcher 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

Engineers and technicians inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida stacked the first segment of the Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket boosters onto mobile launcher 1.

Comprising 10 segments total – five segments for each booster – the SLS solid rocket boosters arrived via train to NASA Kennedy in September 2023 from Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing facility in Utah. The booster segments underwent processing in the spaceport’s Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility before being transferred to the NASA’s iconic VAB for stacking operations.

Technicians inside the 525-foot-tall facility used an overhead crane to lift the left aft assembly onto the mobile launcher. Up next, workers will install the right aft assembly, placing it carefully onto the 380-foot-tall structure used to process, assemble, and launch the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.

The first components of the Artemis II Moon rocket to be stacked, the solid rocket boosters will help support the remaining rocket segments and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly. At launch, the 177-foot-tall twin solid rocket boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust during liftoff from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B.

NASA Prepares for Artemis II Rocket Integration

Image shows booster segments being stacked inside Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center — Engineers and technicians with the Exploration Ground Systems Program prepare to transfer one of the aft assemblies of the SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for the Artemis II mission with an overhead crane inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Since the mobile launcher returned in October from Launch Pad 39B to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, work has been underway for upcoming stacking operations of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Moon rocket.

To prepare for launch, the mobile launcher is undergoing optical scans, system checkouts, and umbilical refurbishment, including installation of the aft skirt electrical umbilicals.

The booster segments soon will move from the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility to the VAB via a transporter. The aft assemblies, or bottom portions of the five segment boosters, will be situated in the facility’s transfer aisle then lifted atop the mobile launcher in High Bay 3.

The examinations and preparations of the mobile launcher and rocket elements lay the groundwork for Artemis II crewed test flight around the Moon.

NASA, SpaceX Update Space Station Resupply Launch Date

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after its liftoff from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Monday, Nov. 4, for the launch of the agency’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station due to ongoing operations including Crew-9 port relocation and spacecraft integration for the cargo flight.

The company’s Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and deliver food, supplies, and science investigations to the orbiting laboratory.

NASA will provide additional updates and information on launch and docking when available.

Solar Arrays on NASA’s Europa Clipper Fully Deployed in Space

This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter. — This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft with solar arrays fully deployed in orbit around Jupiter. Europa Clipper’s solar arrays are the biggest NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission. Image credit: NASA

Mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California have confirmed that the two solar arrays flanking the main body of the Europa Clipper spacecraft have fully unfolded. This means that the spacecraft now has a reliable source of power for the rest of its journey to Jupiter and tour of the Jovian system.

The process began with the cutting of hold-downs keeping the solar arrays folded against the sides of the spacecraft and then the unfolding of one “wing” at a time. With each wing measuring 46 ½-feet (14 meters) long, Europa Clipper’s solar arrays are the biggest NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission.

This concludes our live launch coverage.

To read more about today’s launch, please visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/liftoff-nasas-europa-clipper-sails-toward-ocean-moon-of-jupiter

Signal Acquired – NASA’s Europa Clipper Begins Journey to Jovian System

Mission controllers for NASA’s Europa Clipper have received full acquisition of signal from the spacecraft.

NASA’s Europa Clipper will be the first mission to conduct a detailed science investigation of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Scientists believe Europa has a salty ocean beneath its icy crust that potentially could hold the ingredients necessary to sustain life.

The spacecraft, the largest NASA has ever built for a planetary mission, launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT. This will be NASA’s Launch Services Program’s third primary mission launching on a Falcon Heavy rocket.

Jupiter is on average some 480 million miles from Earth — as both planets are in motion around the Sun, the distances between the two vary. Europa Clipper will travel 1.8 billion miles over more than five years to reach the Jovian system in April 2030, using “gravity assists” of two other planets to help it accelerate towards Jupiter. After launch, Europa Clipper will head toward Mars, coming to within 300 to 600 miles of the surface, then slingshot back toward Earth, coming about 2,000 miles from the planet. Through these gravity assists, Europa Clipper will achieve the velocity needed to reach Jupiter in April 2030, when the spacecraft will fire its engines to enter orbit around the solar system’s largest planet.

After it begins orbiting Jupiter, Europa Clipper will spend about a year altering its trajectory to prepare for its first Europa flyby. The spacecraft will then spend about three years soaring past Europa dozens of times and sending data back to Earth. Over the course of the mission, the spacecraft will investigate nearly the entire moon.

NASA’s Europa Clipper Spacecraft Separates From Falcon Heavy Second Stage

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft separates from the Falcon Heavy second stage after launch on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image credit: NASA+

The second stage of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy completed its Earth departure burn, and NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft separated from the second stage. Technicians will now work to acquire signal from the spacecraft to verify its health and the spacecraft will spread its massive solar arrays to power itself as it continues on its mission to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.

Orbit Departure Burn Coming Up

The orbital departure burn is planned to happen in just about 5 minutes. The second stage engine will restart for its second burn (SES-2) and will continue to burn for approximately 3 minutes. This second burn will give the Europa Clipper spacecraft the thrust it needs escape Earth’s gravity. When the burn is complete, the spacecraft will separate from the second stage, which will enter a heliocentric orbit, while the Europa Clipper spacecraft will then continue its roughly six-year journey to Jupiter and its moon, Europa. However, before it travels to Jupiter, the spacecraft will need two gravity assists to help accelerate it on its 1.8-billion-mile trip, with the first gravity assist coming in February 2025 at Mars, and the second during an Earth flyby in December 2026.

Second Stage Engine Cutoff Reached

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy second stage engine completes its burn after launching NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. — SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy second stage engine completes its burn after launching NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. Photo credit: NASA+

The initial second stage engine cutoff (SECO-1) is complete. The second stage engine will restart for its second burn (SES-2) in just about 40 minutes. This second burn (SECO-2) will give the Europa Clipper spacecraft the additional thrust needed to escape Earth’s gravity, after which the spacecraft will separate from the second stage.

You can continue watching the launch live coverage in English on NASA+ and the agency’s website, while NASA launch coverage in Spanish continues on NASA+, the agency’s website, and NASA’s Spanish YouTube channel. You can also follow along right here on the blog for updates through Europa Clipper’s deployment.

Rocket Reaches Max Q, Booster Engines Cutoff, First Stage Separation

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. Photo credit: NASA+

The Falcon Heavy passed Max Q, or the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket, and reached booster engine cutoff (BECO), where both boosters cease firing and separated from the center core. The center booster also completed its burn and separated from the second stage that carries the Europa Clipper spacecraft. After that the fairing halves separated and are descending back to Earth, while second stage has started its approximately 3-minute burn to place Europa Clipper in a parking orbit.

Liftoff of NASA’s Europa Clipper!

We have liftoff! NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, launched from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT.

The Falcon Heavy’s 27 Merlin engines are generating more than 5 million pounds of thrust, quickly pushing the vehicle through the atmosphere and away from the Florida spaceport. The Falcon Heavy first stage consists of three Falcon 9 boosters strapped together — two sides and a central booster. An upper second stage atop the central booster carries the Europa Clipper spacecraft.

Coming up next, the launch vehicle will reach Max Q, or moment of peak mechanical stress on rocket, followed by side booster separation, then booster engine cutoff about two minutes later.