NASA Upgrades Launch Pad 39B for Historic Moon Mission
NASA teams at Kennedy Space Center are completing upgrades to Launch Pad 39B for the Artemis II mission. This mission will be the first crewed flight around the moon in more than 50 years.
Leadership and program work
Jesse Berdis serves as NASA deputy project manager for Mobile Launcher 1 development. He also leads work on the Artemis II egress system.
Engineers have been preparing the pad since the Artemis I launch in 2022. The work has focused on systems, safety, and integration for crewed launches.
What a “clean pad” means
Launch Pad 39B is operated as a clean pad. The mobile launcher brings the Space Launch System vehicle to the pad.
The mobile launcher provides connections for communications, electrical power, and fueling. That setup allows different rockets to use the pad in the future.
Egress system and emergency procedures
The new egress system gives crews a rapid escape option during countdown emergencies. The crew access arm reaches the Orion capsule’s White Room at the 274-foot level.
Astronauts and support personnel ride emergency baskets down a gravity-led track. Electromagnetic brakes control the descent for added safety.
Basket and cable specifications
- Descent distance: more than 1,300 feet.
- Cable length: about 1,335 feet.
- Basket size: similar to a small SUV.
- Capacity: up to five people per basket.
- Maximum weight: 1,500 pounds.
Evacuation to safety
Once on the ground, baskets move to the pad perimeter. Emergency vehicles then carry the crew away in armored transport.
The cable system resembles gondolas used at mountain resorts. It was designed for reliability and rapid egress.
Program significance and future goals
Seeing the Artemis I rocket on Pad 39B was a milestone for long-serving teams. Many engineers spent more than a decade developing systems.
Berdis and his colleagues view this work as foundational. They expect these upgrades to support crewed lunar missions and future infrastructure, including a potential moon base.
Reporting for Filmogaz.com.
