MILAN – Refurbishing ground systems such as the mobile launch pad could become another factor in the timeline for the Artemis 2 mission, which NASA says is still scheduled to launch next September.
A a report The GAO found on October 17 that work on the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program, which includes the mobile launch pad and other ground systems needed to support the launch of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, could delay the launch of Artemis 2.
“While elements of the EGS are near completion, the program does not have timeline margin for these remaining activities,” the GAO report said. While problems with Orion prompted NASA in January to delay the launch of Artemis 2 by nearly a year, until September 2025, this slip saved only three months of schedule margin for EGS. This timeline margin was consumed by June, due to issues with mobile operator testing at Launch Complex 39B, the report said.
“Given the tight margin, if other issues arise during testing or integration, there will likely be a delay to the September 2025 Artemis II launch date,” the GAO concluded.
NASA is working on upgrades and repairs to ground systems following the launch of Artemis 1 in November 2022. This launch caused more damage than expected to the mobile launch pad, requiring repairs as well as the addition of protective barriers to limit damage to future launches. NASA also installed an emergency exit system on the platform while updating the software and environmental control systems.
The report did not say whether work on the EGS was on the critical path for Artemis 2. NASA did not provide any recent updates on issues such as heat shield erosion that the Orion spacecraft experienced as it flew by Artemis 1 to determine whether any changes were needed in Hardware or operation. Prevent the problem from recurring on Artemis 2.
There is widespread industry skepticism about Artemis 2 launching as planned next September, but agency leaders continue to state that the mission will occur on schedule. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson reiterated Artemis 2’s September 2025 launch date during a talk at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here on October 14.
“Artemis is doing very well,” he said at an Oct. 15 press conference at the IAC. “We’re on schedule to return to the moon.”
The GAO report warned that any delay in the launch of Artemis 2 would in turn delay Artemis 3, with additional delays likely if the mobile launch pad sustains damage when Artemis 2 launches. However, there are no major changes to the EGS systems planned for Artemis 3.
The report also examined the status of Mobile Launcher 2 (ML-2), the launch pad built for SLS Block 1B that will be delivered on the Artemis 4 mission scheduled for launch in September 2028. ML-2 has suffered from heavy costs and costs. A report from NASA’s inspector general in August warned of schedule overruns by prime contractor Bechtel, with more likely to occur.
The GAO recommended that NASA conduct a formal schedule risk analysis to identify issues that could lead to future delays. “With nearly 4 years until Artemis IV and a significant amount of work ahead of Bechtel and EGS, regularly assessing EGS and ML2 schedule risks – including those following Bechtel delivery – is critical to understanding whether EGS and ML2 are ready for the planned Artemis IV launch date.
NASA, in a response included in the report, only partially agreed with this recommendation, saying it does not plan to perform this specific analysis. The agency said it will instead use “multiple risk and timeline analysis tools” to track progress on ML-2. “NASA believes these efforts meet the goal of the Government Accountability Office’s recommendation to conduct a regular schedule analysis.”
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