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Andre Douglas, Artemis 2, Christina H. Koch, Exploration Ground Systems, G. Reid Wiseman, Kennedy Space Center, Orion Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System (sls), Victor J. Glover

Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew

December 24, 2025

3 Min Read

Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew

Members of the Artemis II closeout crew, from left, William Sattler; Tyler Sutherland; Michael Heinemann; Christian Warriner; Jenni Gibbons, Artemis II backup crew member; Bill Owens; Taylor Hose; and Andre Douglas, Artemis II backup crew member, pose for a photo with NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building behind them at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2025.

Credits:
NASA/Jim Ross

For most, getting into a car is a task that can be done without assistance. Yet for those whose destination is the Moon, the process of getting inside and secured – in this case, in NASA’s Orion spacecraft – requires help. That’s the role of the Artemis closeout crew.

Trained to support Artemis II and future Moon missions, the five closeout crew members will be the last people to see NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen before their lunar journey.

The Artemis II closeout team consists of a lead, Taylor Hose; an astronaut support person, astronaut Andre Douglas; one technician specially trained on Orion crew survival system spacesuits, Bill Owens; and two Orion technicians, Christian Warriner and Ricky Ebaugh.

We are responsible for getting the astronauts strapped in their spacecraft, getting all their connections attached to their spacesuits, and then we close the hatch and close out Orion for launch.

Taylor Hose

Artemis II Closeout Team Lead

Think of them like a pit crew for car races.

When the astronauts arrive on launch day at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the closeout crew will already be in place. First, the team will help the astronauts don their helmets and gloves before entering the Orion spacecraft.

Closeout Crew lead Taylor Hose, second from left, talks with NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, second from right as he and closeout crewmembers Will Sattler, left, and Christian Warriner prepare for the arrival of Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; at the 275-foot level of the mobile launcher as they prepare to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket during the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy.

NASA/Joel Kowsky

Once inside, Owens and Douglas will assist each crew member with buckling up – except instead of using just one seatbelt like in a car, the crew needs several more intricate connections. Each seat includes five straps to secure the astronauts inside the crew module and several additional connections to the environmental control and life support systems and communications system aboard.

After the astronauts are secured, the hatch technicians will begin closing the spacecraft hatch. Unlike a car door that easily opens and closes with the pull of a handle, Orion’s hatch requires more effort to securely close.

“The hatch is pneumatically driven so we have to have air lines hooked up to it, and we need the help of the ground support system to close it,” said Hose.

Bill Owens of the Closeout Crew is seen as he leads Artemis II crewmembers CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; and Christina Koch, mission specialist; out of at the elevator towards the crew access arm at the 275-foot level of the mobile launcher as they prepare to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket during the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy.

NASA/Joel Kowsky

On launch day, it will take about four hours for the crew to get situated inside Orion and for the closeout process, including buttoning up both the crew module hatch and an exterior launch abort system hatch, to be complete. Even a single strand of hair inside the hatch doors could potentially pose issues with closing either hatch, so the process is carefully done.

“We have a lot of work to do with the seals alone – greasing, cleaning, taking the hatch cover off – and then we get into crew module hatch closure,” Hose said. “So after latching the hatch, we take window covers off, install thermal protection panels, and remove the purge barrier in between the vehicle and the ogive panels, which help protect the crew module during launch and ascent.”

The team then closes the launch abort system hatch and finishes final preparations before launch. Following the abort system hatch closure, the closeout crew departs the launch pad but stays nearby in case they need to return for any reason.

Taylor Hose prepares for the arrival of Artemis II crewmembers NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; at the 275-foot level of the mobile launcher to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket during the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy.

NASA/Joel Kowsky

My life goal was to be an astronaut. To help send people to the Moon for the first time since 1972 to not just go and visit, but this time to stay, I think that’s everything. That's our first steppingstone of going to Mars and expanding into the solar system.

Taylor Hose

Artemis II Closeout Team Lead

After launch, several team members will head to San Diego, to help with post-splashdown efforts once the mission concludes.

As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, the Artemis II test flight is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign. It is another step toward new U.S.-crewed missions on the Moon’s surface that will help the agency prepare to send the first astronauts – Americans – to Mars.

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Dec 23, 2025

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Source Link Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew

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Santa Visits Artemis II Rocket

December 24, 2025

A man with a big white beard wearing a blue Santa costume with Artemis and NASA patches points to his hat. The Artemis II SLS and Orion spacecraft are In the background.

NASA/Adeline Morgan

Santa Claus (NASA engineer Guy Naylor) poses with NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft and SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 11, 2025. The Orion spacecraft was stacked atop the SLS in October 2025.

Set to launch in early 2026, the Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew under Artemis. Astronauts on their first flight aboard Orion will confirm all the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the actual environment of deep space. Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.

Image credit: NASA/Adeline Morgan

Source Link Santa Visits Artemis II Rocket

Andre Douglas, Artemis 2, Christina H. Koch, Exploration Ground Systems, G. Reid Wiseman, Kennedy Space Center, Orion Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System (sls), Victor J. Glover

Artemis II Flight Crew, Teams Conduct Demonstration Ahead of Launch

December 23, 2025

4 Min Read

Artemis II Flight Crew, Teams Conduct Demonstration Ahead of Launch

NASA’s launch and mission teams, along with the Artemis II crew, completed a key test Dec. 20, a countdown demonstration test, ahead of the Artemis II flight around the Moon early next year. The astronauts, supported by launch and flight control teams, dressed in their launch and entry suits, boarded their spacecraft on top of its towering rocket at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to validate their launch date timeline.

Winding the clock down to a point just before liftoff, the rehearsal enabled NASA teams to practice the exact steps teams will take as they move toward launch of the test flight.

This test marks the passage of a key milestone on America’s journey to the launchpad. We have many more to go, but I’m encouraged by the expertise and precision demonstrated by our teams as we continue NASA’s ambitious lunar exploration legacy.

Jared Isaacman

NASA Administrator

While launch teams in the firing rooms of Kennedy’s Launch Control Center ran through procedures just as they would on launch day, the Artemis II crew members – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – donned their Orion crew survival system spacesuits in the Astronaut Crew Quarters inside Kennedy’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.

From left, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, and Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, undergo spacesuit checks inside the crew quarters suit-up room in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building part of the countdown demonstration test at NASA Kennedy on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025.

NASA/Glenn Benson

Once suited, the crew made the same walk taken by Gemini, Apollo, space shuttle, and Commercial Crew Program astronauts launching from Florida’s Space Coast during the last six decades. Through the suit-up room, down the hallway, and after a quick ride on an elevator, the Artemis II crew exited the building through the double doors featuring dozens of human spaceflight mission patch stickers.

The Artemis astronaut van waited outside to take the crew members to their SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. On the actual launch day, the four astronauts will complete a 20-minute ride to Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B ahead of liftoff. But, for the countdown test the destination was High Bay 3 of Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where the Artemis II Moon rocket is undergoing final processing and checkouts before rolling out to the launch pad. A convoy of support vehicles, as well as Artemis II backup crew members, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons, escorted the crew to its destination.

From right to left, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist are seen as they depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building as part of the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at NASA Kennedy.

NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

After a short trip to the building, the flight crew rode the mobile launcher’s elevator up nearly 300 feet to the crew access arm and the White Room, the enclosed area where the crew enters the spacecraft. The closeout crew, whose job it is to ensure the flight crew enters the spacecraft without issue, helped the astronauts enter Orion, which they have named Integrity. The closeout team assisted the astronauts by strapping them into their seats and closed the hatch once all closeout operations were completed. With the crew secured in Orion, teams conducted suit leak and communications checks, just as they will on launch day.

Artemis II crewmembers CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, right, and NASA astronauts Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; after exiting the elevator at the 275-foot level of the mobile launcher as they walk towards the crew access arm prepare to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s Moon rocket during the Artemis II countdown demonstration test, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy.

NASA/Joel Kowsky

Throughout the testing, teams ran through the final 5.5 hours of launch day procedures, completing the countdown test about 30 seconds before what will be the time of liftoff on launch day. As they may encounter on launch day, teams navigated through several real-time issues, including audio communications and environmental control and life support systems closeout activities during the test. All objectives were met, and the countdown demonstration provided a valuable opportunity to conduct operations in a day-of-launch configuration to minimize first-time learnings on launch day.

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s Artemis launch director, monitors the progress of Artemis II countdown demonstration test with Artemis II crew members onboard their Orion spacecraft from Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA Kennedy on Saturday, Dec. 20.

NASA/Glenn Benson

Although Artemis II teams have performed parts of the launch countdown testing previously, this test was the first full end-to-end rundown with the crew and Orion in the launch configuration. The crew will participate in additional countdown testing after the rocket arrives to the launchpad, focusing on emergency operations.

As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, the Artemis II test flight is the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign. It is another step toward new U.S.-crewed missions on the Moon’s surface that will help the agency prepare to land American astronauts on Mars.

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Dec 23, 2025

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Source Link Artemis II Flight Crew, Teams Conduct Demonstration Ahead of Launch

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Artemis II Crew Rehearse Launch Day Demonstration

December 21, 2025

Crew depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to travel to the Vehicle Assembly Building to board their Orion spacecraft atop NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket as part of the Artemis II Countdown Demonstration Test, December 20, 2025

The four astronauts set to fly around the Moon during NASA’s Artemis II test flight depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during a dress rehearsal for launch day on Dec. 20, 2025. From left are CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch.

The launch day rehearsal, called a countdown demonstration test, simulated the launch day timeline, including the crew suiting up in their spacesuits and climbing in and out of their Orion spacecraft. Because the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket upon which they will launch is not yet at the launch pad, the crew boarded Orion inside Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where engineers are conducting final preparations on the spacecraft, rocket, and ground systems.

Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Photo Credit: NASA/Jim Ross

Source Link Artemis II Crew Rehearse Launch Day Demonstration

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NASA’s Moon Rocket Celebrates 250 Years of American Innovation

December 2, 2025

NASA is marking America’s 250th year with a bold new symbol of the nation’s relentless drive to explore.

The America 250 emblem is now on the twin solid rocket boosters of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis II — the powerhouse that will launch a crew of four around the Moon next year. Unveiled Tuesday, the design echoes the America 250 Commission’s Spirit of Innovation theme, honoring a country that has never stopped pushing the horizon forward.

At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians spent recent weeks carefully applying the emblem on the rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building — the same place where rockets for Apollo once stood. Engineers are running final tests on SLS and the Orion spacecraft as preparations intensify for Artemis II.

The roughly 10-day Artemis II journey around the Moon will mark a defining moment in this new era of American exploration — paving the way for U.S. crews to land on the lunar surface and ultimately push onward to Mars.

America’s spirit of discovery is alive, and Artemis is carrying it to the Moon and beyond.

Image credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Source Link NASA’s Moon Rocket Celebrates 250 Years of American Innovation

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NASA Awards Liquid Hydrogen Supply Contracts

November 22, 2025

The letters NASA on a blue circle with red and white detail, all surrounded by a black background

Credit: NASA

NASA has selected Plug Power, Inc., of Slingerlands, New York, and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., of Allentown, Pennsylvania, to supply up to approximately 36,952,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen for use at facilities across the agency.

The NASA Agency-wide Supply of Liquid Hydrogen awards are firm-fixed-price requirements contracts that include multiple firm-fixed-price delivery orders critical for the agency’s centers as they use liquid hydrogen, combined with liquid oxygen, as fuel in cryogenic rocket engines, and the commodity’s unique properties support the development of aeronautics. The total value for the combined awards is about $147.2 million.

The contracts begin Monday, Dec. 1, and each consists of a two-year base period followed by three one-year option periods that, if exercised, would extend the contracts to Nov. 30, 2030.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc. will supply up to about 36.5 million pounds of liquid hydrogen to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida; NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for a maximum contract value of approximately $144.4 million.

Plug Power, Inc. will deliver up to approximately 480,000 pounds of the commodity to NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and at Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, for a maximum contract value of about $2.8 million.

For additional information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/

-end-

Tiernan Doyle
Headquarters, Washington
tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov
202-358-1600

Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
amanda.griffin@nasa.gov
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Nov 21, 2025

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Artemis, Artemis 2, Exploration Ground Systems, Kennedy Space Center, Orion Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System (sls)

NASA Progresses Toward Artemis II Moon Mission

November 20, 2025

Image shows an orange core stage of the Artemis II rocket with white boosters on each side fully stacked inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team use a crane to lift and secure NASA’s Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, for the agency’s Artemis II mission. Set to launch in 2026, the spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Once stacked, teams will begin conducting a series of verification tests ahead of rolling out to Launch Complex 39B for the wet dress rehearsal at NASA Kennedy.

NASA/Kim Shiflett

As 2026 nears, NASA continues moving forward to launching and flying Artemis II, the first crewed mission under the Artemis campaign, no later than April next year.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft, complete with its launch abort system escape tower, is now integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following Orion stacking, teams completed testing critical communications systems between SLS and Orion, and confirmed the interfaces function properly between the rocket, Orion, and the ground systems, including end-to-end testing with the Near Space Network and Deep Space Network, which aid in communications and navigation.

“NASA remains focused on getting ready to safely fly four astronauts around the Moon and back,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “Our mission will lay the groundwork for future missions to the lunar surface and to Mars.”

In the coming weeks, engineers and the Artemis II crew will conduct the first part of a Countdown Demonstration Test at Kennedy, a dress rehearsal for launch day. The crew will don their Orion crew survival system spacesuits and venture to their rocket before being secured inside Orion, which the crew recently named Integrity, simulating the final moments of the countdown. Because the rocket and spacecraft are not yet at the launch pad, the crew will board Orion inside the VAB. The test will serve as a final verification of the timeline for the crew and supporting teams on the ground. A second part of the test, preparing for an emergency at the launch pad, will occur after the rocket and spacecraft roll out to Launch Pad 39B.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist, and the remaining Artemis II crew members walk on the crew access arm of the mobile launcher in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.

NASA/Kim Shiflett

The Artemis II crew and ground personnel responsible for launching and flying the mission are preparing to conduct additional integrated simulations across teams and facilities to prepare for any scenario that could arise as the crew of four launches from Florida and flies their approximately 10-day mission.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have a busy schedule over the next several months reviewing procedures for all phases of flight until their preparations are second nature, practicing for different mission scenarios, and maintaining their familiarity with every element of their spacecraft.

Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Image show a 10-step checklist with 3-10 check marked to show the number of steps completed fr the Artemis II SLS Rocket and Orion Spacecraft Integrated Testing.

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Source Link NASA Progresses Toward Artemis II Moon Mission

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NASA Invites Media to Attend Crewed Artemis II Moon Mission Launch

November 18, 2025

A large orange NASA rocket with white booster rockets stands vertically on a launch pad, lit by spotlights, with the full Moon and night sky behind it.

The Artemis I SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a full Moon in the background on June 14, 2022.

Credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Lee este comunicado de prensa en español aquí.

Media accreditation is open for the launch of the first crewed Moon mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign.

Targeted to launch in early 2026, the Artemis II test flight will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back.

The crew will lift off from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft on the agency’s powerful (SLS) Space Launch System rocket to help confirm the systems and hardware needed for human deep space exploration.

International media without U.S. citizenship must apply to view the launch by Sunday, Nov. 30. U.S. media must apply by Monday, Dec. 8. Journalists who already have annual badges to NASA Kennedy also must apply. Those who are accredited to attend the Artemis II launch also will be accredited to attend pre-launch events, including rollout of the integrated rocket and spacecraft several weeks before launch. Additional details about launch dates will be provided later.

Media may submit accreditation requests online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Due to high interest, space is limited to attend launch activities. Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval, along with additional information about pre-launch and launch activities. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, Artemis will pave the way for new U.S.-crewed missions on the lunar surface in preparation toward the first crewed mission to Mars.

To learn more about the Artemis II mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii

-end-

Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov

Tiffany Fairley
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
tiffany.l.fairley@nasa.gov

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Nov 17, 2025

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Jessica Taveau

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La NASA invita a los medios al despegue de la misión lunar Artemis II

November 18, 2025

El cohete SLS (Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial) y la nave espacial Orion de la misión Artemis I, en la plataforma móvil de lanzamiento en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida, con la luna llena al fondo. Imagen tomada el 14 de junio de 2022.

Crédito: NASA/Cory Huston

Read this press release in English here.

Ya está abierto el plazo de acreditación de medios de comunicación para el lanzamiento de la primera misión lunar tripulada de la campaña Artemis de la NASA.

Con un lanzamiento previsto para principios de 2026, el vuelo de prueba Artemis II enviará a los astronautas de la NASA Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover y Christina Koch y al astronauta de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense) Jeremy Hansen en un viaje de aproximadamente 10 días alrededor de la Luna y de regreso.

La tripulación despegará desde el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la agencia en Florida, a bordo de la nave espacial Orion de la NASA, transportada por el poderoso cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial (SLS, por sus siglas en inglés) de la agencia, con el fin de ayudar a validar los sistemas y el hardware necesarios para la exploración humana del espacio profundo.

Los miembros de los medios que no dispongan de ciudadanía estadounidense deben solicitar el acceso para ver el lanzamiento antes del domingo 30 de noviembre. Los miembros de medios con ciudadanía estadounidense deben solicitarlo antes del lunes 8 de diciembre. Los periodistas que ya dispongan de acreditaciones anuales para el centro Kennedy de la NASA también deben solicitar acceso para este lanzamiento. Aquellos que estén acreditados para asistir al despegue de Artemis II recibirán también acreditación para asistir a eventos previos al lanzamiento, incluyendo la presentación del cohete y la nave espacial integrados, un evento que se dará varias semanas antes del despegue. Más adelante proporcionaremos detalles adicionales sobre las fechas del lanzamiento.

Los medios de comunicación pueden enviar sus solicitudes de acreditación en línea, en:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Debido al gran interés suscitado, la disponibilidad de plazas para asistir a las actividades del lanzamiento es limitada. Los medios acreditados recibirán un correo electrónico de confirmación tras la aprobación, junto con información adicional sobre las actividades previas al lanzamiento y actividades del lanzamiento. La política de acreditación de medios de la NASA está disponible en línea (en inglés). Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la acreditación, envíe un correo electrónico en inglés a: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Para otras preguntas, póngase en contacto con la sala de prensa del centro Kennedy de la NASA a través del número: +1 321-867-2468.

Como parte de una edad dorada de innovación y exploración, Artemis allanará el camino para nuevas misiones tripuladas estadounidenses en la superficie lunar, en preparación para la primera misión tripulada a Marte.

Para obtener más información (en inglés) sobre la misión Artemis II, visite:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii

-fin-

Rachel Kraft / María José Viñas
Sede central, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov

Tiffany Fairley
Centro Espacial Kennedy, Florida
321-867-2468
tiffany.l.fairley@nasa.gov

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Nov 17, 2025

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NASA Sets Launch Coverage for International Ocean Tracking Mission

November 17, 2025

In this artist’s concept, the ocean-observing satellite Sentinel-6B orbits Earth with its deployable solar panels extended.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for Sentinel-6B, an international mission delivering critical sea level and ocean data to protect coastal infrastructure, improve weather forecasting, and support commercial activities at sea.

Launch is targeted at 12:21 a.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 17 (9:21 p.m. PST, Sunday, Nov. 16) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Watch coverage beginning at 11:30 p.m. EST (8:30 p.m. PST) on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The Sentinel-6B mission continues a decades-long effort to monitor global sea level and ocean conditions using precise radar measurements from space. Since the early 1990s, satellites launched by NASA and domestic and international partners have collected precise sea level data. The launch of Sentinel-6B will extend this dataset out to nearly four decades.

NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Saturday, Nov. 15

4 p.m. – NASA Prelaunch Teleconference on International Ocean Tracking Mission

Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division, NASA Headquarters in Washington
Pierrik Veuilleumier, Sentinel-6B project manager, ESA (European Space Agency)
Parag Vaze, Sentinel-6B project manager, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California
Tim Dunn, senior launch director, Launch Services Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Julianna Scheiman, director, NASA Science Missions, SpaceX
1st Lt. William Harbin, launch weather officer, U.S. Air Force

Audio of the teleconference will stream on the NASA Video YouTube channel.

Media interested in participating by phone must RSVP no later than two hours prior to the start of the call at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

Sunday Nov. 16

11:30 p.m. – Launch coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and more.

Audio-only coverage

Audio-only of the launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220 or -1240. On launch day, “mission audio” countdown activities without NASA+ launch commentary will be carried at 321-867-7135.

NASA website launch coverage

Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include links to live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 11 p.m. EST, Nov. 16, as the countdown milestones occur. Streaming video and photos of the launch will be accessible on demand shortly after liftoff. Follow countdown coverage on NASA’s Sentinel-6/Jason-CS blog.

For questions about countdown coverage, contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.

Watch, engage on social media

Let people know you’re watching the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAJPL, @NASAEarth

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Sentinel-6B is the second of twin satellites in the Copernicus Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission, a collaboration among NASA, ESA, EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The first satellite in the mission, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched in November 2020. The European Commission contributed funding support, while France’s space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales) provided technical expertise. The mission also marks the first international involvement in Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme.

For more information about these missions, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sentinel-6b/

-end-

Elizabeth Vlock
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov

Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov

Andrew Wang / Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 818-393-2433
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov

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Nov 14, 2025

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