January 31, 2026

The countdown for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal is underway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with the clock starting at 8:13 p.m. EST and leading to a simulated launch window opening at 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2. The test is expected to run through approximately 1 a.m. on Feb. 3 and will put launch teams at Kennedy, Johnson Space Center and other NASA centers through a full launch-day timeline.

During the rehearsal, teams will load cryogenic propellants into the SLS rocket, conduct and recycle the countdown, pause at planned holds in the final minutes and practice draining the vehicle to simulate scrub scenarios. While astronauts are not aboard, crew-related milestones and closeout procedures will be incorporated into the timeline to ensure full readiness for launch day, with all data reviewed following the test.

 

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Orion is NASA's spacecraft that will take humans deep into space. No other spacecraft in development has the technology needed for the extremes of deep space, such as life support, navigation, communications, radiation shielding and the world's largest heat shield that will protect astronauts and help return them safely home.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor building Orion. We are in the production phase and have finalized a contract for six Orion spacecraft missions and the ability to order up to 12 in total. The first spacecraft delivered on this contract, Artemis III, will carry the first woman and the next man to the surface of the Moon. Orion is a critical part of the agency's Artemis program to build a sustainable presence on the lunar surface and to prepare us to move on to Mars.

What puts Orion in a class all its own? The technology our engineers use to build the only exploration class spacecraft to take humans deeper into space than ever before. 

• Life Support Systems: Advanced environmental control and life support systems designed for long duration missions keeps the crew safe and healthy.
• Radiation Protection: Needed to protect crew and spacecraft systems from cosmic and solar radiation seen in deep space.
• Heat Shield: Designed to take extreme temperatures of 5,000°F coming back from the Moon at 24,700 mph, while keeping the crew safe and comfortable.
• Propulsion System: The service module has 33 engines, including its large main engine that is used to provide high-power, deep space maneuvers.
• Deep Space Communications & Navigation: Unique systems designed specifically for deep space travel. Where Orion is going, there are no GPS or communications satellites.
• Redundancy: When coming back home quickly isn’t an option, redundant systems will ensure that critical elements such as computers remain operable if something goes wrong.

Mars Base Camp is Lockheed Martin’s vision for sending humans to Mars in about a decade. The concept is simple: transport astronauts from Earth, via the Moon, to a Mars-orbiting science laboratory where they can perform real-time scientific exploration, analyze Martian rock and soil samples, and confirm the ideal place to land humans on the surface in the 2030s.