Artemis II Orion Spacecraft Stacked - NASA

NASA's Artemis II Orion Spacecraft Stacked at Kennedy Space Center

The highly anticipated launch of NASA's Artemis II mission has taken a significant step forward as the agency's state-of-the-art Orion spacecraft was successfully stacked atop the massive SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The impressive sight can be seen in a recent photo, which captured the moment when the two behemoths were brought together in preparation for their historic journey.

The Orion spacecraft, named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, is set to embark on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back, marking a crucial milestone in NASA's ambitious Artemis program. The spacecraft will be crewed by four astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.

The mission, slated for early 2026, promises to be a groundbreaking moment for space exploration as it paves the way for future human missions to the lunar surface. As NASA gears up for this monumental endeavor, the agency has also set up an online blog dedicated to chronicling the journey of Artemis II, providing readers with an exclusive glimpse into the preparations and milestones that will lead up to the launch.

The successful stacking of the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket marks a significant achievement for NASA's team of engineers and technicians. With each passing day, the agency is inching closer to making history, and this moment serves as a testament to their unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

This whole Artemis program is like, super hyped but I'm not sure why they need to stack the spacecraft on top of the rocket in the first place I mean, can't they just launch it straight up? And what's with the SLS rocket being massive? Is that really necessary for a 10-day mission around the moon? Also, I'm curious about those astronauts - Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover seem like nice guys but have they even been to space before? And Christina Koch is like a total boss, btw

I'm just not sure about these elaborate missions anymore... like, what's the point of having an entire 10-day trip around the Moon? It feels so extravagant . And don't even get me started on the cost . Can we just focus on getting some actual results from all this space exploration nonsense? I mean, have they at least figured out a reliable way to make reusable rockets yet? That'd be a real game-changer .

I'm gonna say it... maybe we don't need another trip to the moon just yet . Don't get me wrong, I think space exploration is cool and all, but have you seen the cost of this mission? It's astronomical! Like, billions of dollars just for a 10-day trip around the moon. What are they gonna do with all that money afterwards?

And let's be real, we've been to the moon before . We had our little lunar vacation in 1969 and then what? A bunch of cool photos and some rock samples . I mean, what's the rush to go back? Is it just so we can say we did it again?

Don't get me wrong, I think our astronauts are awesome , but let's not forget about the people on this planet who need help with real problems like poverty and climate change . Can't we use some of that NASA budget for something more... practical?

I'm totally stoked about this Artemis II mission , but at the same time, I'm like, really worried that they're rushing into something that might not be fully ready for prime time . I mean, a 10-day trip around the Moon and back is a huge deal, but what if something goes wrong during the journey? What if the crew gets stuck in space or something ? And don't even get me started on the fact that it's just a test flight for an actual lunar mission... I hope they're not setting themselves up for disappointment .

omg this is so cool i wish i could see it in person, i've been following the artemis program since like middle school me and my friends used to debate about whether we should have more STEM classes or art classes lol, but now i'm all about space exploration nasa is literally changing the game with this mission, can you imagine being one of those four astronauts on board ?! they're going to be like, 'hey i was just chillin up here in orbit and then I came back' anyway, it's so awesome that they're making space travel more accessible and maybe one day we'll even have lunar schools

just thinkin about these astronauts flyin around the moon in 2026 it's wild how fast tech advances... been following nasa updates for years now hope they make it to the lunar surface without any issues those guys are my heroes

I'm loving the vibe of this Artemis II mission ! Stacking the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket is like watching a giant Lego puzzle come together – it's a testament to NASA's precision and teamwork . With four brave astronauts set to embark on a 10-day lunar journey, I'm excited to see what kind of discoveries they'll make . And let's be real, this mission has the whole world watching – it's like we're all in on the cosmic secret together . Can't wait to see what's next for NASA and their crew!

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

OMG just saw the pic of that massive Orion spacecraft stacked on top of the SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center... it's mind-blowing! 10-day mission around the Moon and back, yikes! I mean, what if something goes wrong? Are they really ready for this? I'm all for pushing boundaries, but let's not forget about the risks involved . I'm curious to see how their online blog is gonna do, maybe we can get some behind-the-scenes info on what's really going on . And those astronauts, Reid and co., are they prepared for the extreme conditions of space travel? We'll just have to wait and see...

omg yaaas i'm so hyped about this mission!!! it's like we're one step closer to having humans set foot on the moon again!! nasa is literally doing everything right, from the name of the spacecraft (i mean, who wouldn't want a goddess named after them?) to the amazing team of astronauts they've got on board and can we talk about how epic it's gonna be when they're sailing around the moon? 10 days is a looong time but i'm so down for the ride

OMG, have you seen these astronauts they're like total rockstars! Four heroes gonna fly around the moon for 10 whole days . And can we talk about the Orion spacecraft? It's named after a Greek goddess which is pretty cool btw . I mean, what's next? Are they gonna send someone to Mars and name them after another ancient deity? Also, I'm so down for this space exploration thing, but have you seen the price tag of all these missions? Like, who's paying for this .

I gotta say, it's mind-blowing to think about humans actually setting foot on the moon again . The Artemis program has been years in the making, but it's finally starting to come together. With this mission, we're not just talking about a spacewalk or a quick flyby – we're talking about an actual lunar orbit and back .

It's crazy to think about all the people involved in making this happen, from the engineers to the astronauts themselves. And with the Canadian Space Agency being part of it too , it's not just Americans leading the charge anymore.

I'm getting hyped for early 2026 when this baby actually launches . Can't wait to see what other milestones and discoveries come out of this mission!

finally! a mission that feels like it's actually happening and what a team! four astronauts, four countries coming together to explore the moon and beyond. i'm living for this 10-day journey it's like we're all going to be space travelers together for real, can you believe how far nasa has come since those early days of space exploration now they're talking about human missions to the lunar surface and it's crazy to think that this could be a stepping stone for something even bigger

I don’t usually comment but I gotta say, it’s wild to think about humans actually gonna walk on the moon again ! Like, we used to have a whole program for that and now we're doing it all over again because it's so important. The SLS rocket is massive, btw – what a beast of a machine. And four astronauts? That's like, the ultimate crew for a mission like this . I don’t know about space tech being expensive, but it’s worth every penny if we're gonna make humanity a multi-planetary species

man I'm so hyped about this Artemis II mission it's like we're finally gonna see humans set foot on the moon again after all these years! and can you believe those 4 astronauts are actually going to crew it? Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - what a talented team they got!

I think it's amazing how NASA is being super transparent with their preparations through this online blog. I mean, who wouldn't want to read about the inner workings of space exploration? It just goes to show that we're really getting close to making some major breakthroughs here.

and you know what's even more cool? We get to live vicariously through these astronauts as they journey around the moon and back! It's like we're all part of this epic adventure together

I'm loving how NASA is really bringing its A-game when it comes to pushing the limits of space travel ! The fact that they've got this massive SLS rocket and an Orion spacecraft stacked on top of each other, ready to take off into lunar orbit in 2026... it's just mind-blowing ! I mean, can you even imagine what kind of tech and expertise goes into creating something as complex as this? It's like they're building a giant spaceship from scratch, and I'm here for it !

But seriously, the whole Artemis program is all about paving the way for humanity to set foot on the moon again, and I think that's really exciting . I mean, who doesn't want to see humans exploring space like they did back in the 60s? It's like they're taking a giant leap (pun intended) into the unknown, and I'm so down for it !

ugh I cant even imagine how much work goes into something like this i mean we're not even talking about just launching a rocket anymore, its like building a whole spaceship and then sending humans on it... can you believe those astronauts are literally going to be in space for 10 days?! Christina Koch was in space for over 200 days tho and now they're gonna do even more I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it , this is like the next big thing for humanity, we gotta get on board