Artemis II Crew’s Suits
NASA announced on March 27 2026 that the Orion Crew Survival System suits for the Artemis II crew were photographed in the suit‑up room of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Saturday, Jan. 17 2026. The four‑person crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch representing NASA, together with Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. The images show the astronauts and cosmonaut in the flight‑ready garments that will protect them during the Artemis II test flight, NASA’s first crewed launch on the Space Launch System rocket.
The Orion Crew Survival System suits are designed for the Orion spacecraft’s ascent and re‑entry phases and incorporate pressure‑maintaining layers, thermal protection, and life‑support interfaces compatible with the Space Launch System’s launch environment. Artemis II will launch aboard the SLS Block 1 configuration, marking the inaugural crewed flight of the launch vehicle and the second flight of Orion. The mission will place the four‑member crew on a lunar flyby trajectory, testing navigation, communications, and abort capabilities ahead of subsequent lunar landing missions. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency coordinated suit integration and checkout procedures at the Kennedy Space Center to meet the launch schedule.
Artemis II represents a critical step in NASA’s Artemis program, which targets lunar exploration for scientific research, commercial development, and the establishment of a pathway to crewed missions to Mars. The inclusion of a Canadian astronaut underscores international collaboration within the program and aligns with the broader goal of building a sustainable presence on the Moon. Successful validation of the Orion Crew Survival System and SLS performance on Artemis II will inform hardware refinements and operational protocols for future Artemis missions, including crewed landings and the development of lunar surface infrastructure.
