SUPPLY CHAIN
KEY SUPPLIER
AIRBUS creating two 177-foot-tall engines. The core stage was then lifted and placed between the boosters.
Next, the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter, ICPS and Orion stage adapter were attached. Finally, the Orion crew capsule, topped with its emergency Launch Abort System, was placed on the very top of the rocket stack.
The 322-foot-tall rocket then spent nearly three months inside the VAB, undergoing intense integration, testing and simulations. Electrical and data cables were connected from the mobile launcher to the rocket stack, conducting tests to ensure the computers across the rocket and at the Kennedy Space Center could communicate properly. The astronauts took part in a dry run, practicing being strapped in, sealing the hatch and running through the early stages of the launch countdown.
Testing for human safety Before the stack could be rolled out, every component had to pass stringent human-rating requirements.
The ESM uses 33 engines to steer the spacecraft and adjust its path
WATCH NOW
Signed, sealed, delivered: Orion for NASA’ s Artemis II mission finalised CREDIT: AIRBUS
88 August 2026