Lockheed Martin Orion completes Artemis II mission, securing future lunar contracts

Lockheed Martin’s Orion spacecraft completed the Artemis II mission on April 10, 2026. The 10-day flight concluded with a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

This mission marked the first crewed flight for both the Orion vehicle and NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Four astronauts traveled around the Moon to test the spacecraft's deep-space capabilities.

The vehicle validated critical life support systems while reaching re-entry speeds 30 times the speed of sound. This milestone positions Lockheed Martin to secure future lunar landing contracts and long-term Moon missions.