Aiming for the Moon: Technicians Add “Target” to NASA Artemis II Rocket Hardware

The critical auxiliary target for NASA’s Artemis II mission has been prepared for flight after testing at United Launch Alliance’s Florida facility. It will be used to test Orion’s piloting qualities as part of NASA’s long-term goal to land the first woman and person of color on the Moon. Credit: ULA

NASA’s Artemis II mission has reached a significant milestone with the preparation of a critical auxiliary target that underwent testing at United Launch Alliance’s Florida facility.

A critical auxiliary target for NASA’s Artemis II mission is ready for flight, having undergone testing at United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Florida facility. On May 16, teams with the company affixed the target to the in-space propulsion stage for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at ULA’s Delta Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Following the safe separation of NASA’s Orion spacecraft from the rocket’s upper stage, the four astronauts aboard Orion will use the target affixed to the in-space stage for a proximity operations demonstration. This will be used to test Orion’s piloting qualities. The target underwent illumination testing in May to ensure it will be visible in different lighting conditions in space.

The SLS rocket provides propulsion in phases to transport the Artemis missions to the Moon. Its ICPS (interim cryogenic propulsion stage) and its single RL10 engine fire twice during the Artemis II mission. This will place the Orion spacecraft and astronauts into a high-Earth orbit, where they will then test Orion’s manual handling qualities using the ICPS and its auxiliary target before proceeding to the Moon.

During the demonstration, astronauts will utilize a two-foot target to test navigation and other essential Orion systems. This will help assess the spacecraft’s ability to approach and fly alongside another large spacecraft in space before future Artemis missions that necessitate docking capabilities.

NASA is working to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon under the Artemis program. SLS plays a vital role in NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits, rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. Notably, SLS is the only rocket capable of sending Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.