NASA Sets Up Orion Mission Evaluation Room to Safeguard Artemis II Astronauts

NASA's newly upgraded Orion Mission Evaluation Room at Johnson Space Centre in Houston will help protect astronauts on Artemis II shortly before they head around the Moon. It will be staffed by engineers from NASA, Lockheed Martin, ESA, and Airbus who will provide 24/7 monitoring of Orion's systems throughout the nearly 10-day voyage. From liftoff to splashdown, a team of specialists at 24 consoles will keep tabs on performance, analyse data, and help the White Flight Control Room quickly respond to any in-orbit misbehaviour.

NASA's Orion Mission Evaluation Room to Guide Artemis II Crew Around the Moon

According to NASA's official release, the Orion Mission Evaluation Room was formally opened on August 15, expanding the capacity of mission control to meet the demands of the first crewed Artemis flight. Perryman, who leads the team alongside deputy manager Jen Madsen, said the expanded oversight is crucial as Orion will carry astronauts for the first time, requiring more expertise to track systems not previously tested in flight. The room will operate across three daily shifts beginning 48 hours before liftoff until the spacecraft's safe recovery.

The room, staffed 24/7, houses engineers in avionics, power, software, propulsion, and environmental systems across 24 consoles. It supports flight controllers and can quickly draw on expertise from NASA, Lockheed Martin, and ESA.

The team will analyse Orion's data during the flight, comparing it with expected performance for post-flight reviews. The Artemis II mission crew will be the first humans to fly on any Artemis mission, but flight test analogue missions will show how Orion works with humans aboard.

The Artemis II vehicle, seen here as it was being used to test the tools and technology needed for the safe and sustainable human missions to Mars, will take astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen back to Earth.