Artemis I Rolls to Launch Pad for the First Time

Space Launch System to undergo major test at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

Artemis Program aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon

NASA's first Artemis mission in new deep space human exploration program

DALLAS, March 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jacobs (NYSE:J) team supported NASA rolling out the Artemis I rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in preparation of final prelaunch tests of the Space Launch System (SLS). Artemis I, a flight test of the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built, will be the first mission in NASA's new deep space human exploration program, which aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon and establish sustainable exploration in preparation for missions to Mars.

While at the pad, NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and Jacobs teams will conduct the Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR), which involves filling the SLS core stage with cryogenic fuel and monitoring thousands of sensors and special instruments of the ground and flight hardware systems to capture performance data. The launch control team will conduct a full launch countdown during WDR, taking the count down to just seconds before liftoff. 

"This is the final test of the systems before we launch Artemis I where the uncrewed Orion capsule will travel further from Earth than any human spacecraft has ever gone," said Jacobs Executive Vice President and President of Critical Mission Solutions Steve Arnette. "Watching the 322-foot rocket stack roll out of the VAB was a thrilling moment for our team, who are committed to providing integrated solutions in support of the agency's mission and the nation's space program. Jacobs' employees at multiple NASA centers, along with their NASA and industry counterparts, have been steadily working – despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic – toward this goal, and this final milestone signifies that the launch is within sight." 

Following the WDR, the team at KSC will roll the entire skyscraper-sized stack atop the mobile launcher back to the iconic VAB.

As the Artemis prime contractor at KSC for NASA's EGS program, Jacobs is responsible for receiving all SLS and Orion flight hardware, assembling and integrating all the components, conducting final test and checkout, transporting the vehicle to the pad, then helping to launch it on the mission.

Jacobs is prime contractor for NASA's Test and Operations Support Contract at KSC, and was recently named Large Business Prime Contractor of the Year. As NASA's largest services contractor, Jacobs is a provider and integrator of full lifecycle aerospace capability, including design and construction; base, mission and launch operations; sustaining capital maintenance; secure and intelligent asset management; and development, modification, and testing processes for fixed assets supporting national government, military, defense and NASA, as well as commercial space companies.

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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SOURCE Jacobs