Orion on the move

The Orion crew and service module stack for Artemis I was lifted out of the Final Assembly and Test (FAST) cell on Monday, November 11. The spacecraft has been stationed in the FAST cell since July 2019 for mating and closeout processing.

The service module and crew module were moved separately into the cell, stacked and connected together for the mission.

After lifting out of the cell, Orion will be attached to a tool called a verticator that rotates the stack from its vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration for transport to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, USA, where it will undergo full environmental testing to certify the complete vehicle for flight.

Once the vehicle returns to NASA's Kennedy Space Centre it will return to the FAST cell for installation of final panels left off for environmental testing purposes and the service module’s four solar arrays.