NASA and SpaceX are testing a module that connects the spacecraft to the Orion capsule

NASA wants to return people to the moon in 2026 as part of the Artemis mission. It will be a complex task that will be preceded by numerous preparations and tests of the planned solutions. of between it A module that enables docking of the spacecraft with the Orion crew capsule.

The spacecraft, chosen by NASA as a lunar lander, is scheduled to connect in orbit around the Silver Globe with the Orion crew capsule, which will take astronauts from the surface of the Earth. For this you need to create A special lock allows people to move from one ship to another. It was decided to use proven solutions.

Johnson Space Center engineers spent 10 days using equipment intended for the Starship lander and Orion orbiter. Tests were performed at different angles and speeds. together More than 200 tests were performed.

Spacecraft side docking system Based on Dragon 2 capsule solutionsWhich NASA and SpaceX have used during missions to the International Space Station for several years. The tests were successful and were carried out in different scenarios.

The spacecraft, which will be the lunar lander for the Artemis mission, is not yet complete. So far, SpaceX's big rocket has only made two orbital test flights, and we're currently awaiting the third. However, work on the ship will be accelerated this year. There's not much time left until 2026, when NASA plans to land astronauts near the moon's south pole.

Over time, a small space station called Gateway will be placed in orbit around the moon. This is where the Orion crew capsules and subsequent Starships (after the Artemis 3 mission) will dock, which will then take people to the surface of the Silver Globe. but Initially, the two ships are supposed to connect to each other and this way the crew will move between them. The SpaceX rocket will not take astronauts directly from Earth and for this purpose NASA will use its own rocket called SLS (Space Launch System).