MORE THAN
ARE INVOLVED IN NASA’ S ARTEMIS PROGRAMME
NORTHRO
SUPPLY CHAIN KEY SUPPLIER
MORE THAN
2,700 SUPPLIERS
ARE INVOLVED IN NASA’ S ARTEMIS PROGRAMME
CREDIT: NORTHROP GRUMMAN
This is a big step up in quality assurance compared to uncrewed payloads. Testing for most hardware began with non-destructive evaluation, using x-ray radiography, ultrasonic testing and dye penetrants to inspect the integrity of welds on the Orion pressure vessel and SLS propellant tanks. Engineers also conducted extensive closed-chamber testing on hardware responsible for carbon dioxide removal, oxygen generation and thermal regulation. The Orion module itself was blasted with launch-level acoustics, and thermal vacuum chambers were used to replicate the temperature changes and vacuum of deep space on the ESM’ s systems.
The rocket was then moved from the VAB to the launch pad over 12 hours at a maximum speed of just 0.82 mph in January 2026. NASA conducted two wet dress rehearsals, filling the SLS core stage with liquid hydrogen and oxygen and monitoring for system leaks. The first wet dress rehearsal uncovered a hydrogen leak in a tail service mast umbilical.
92 August 2026