NASA's Curious Universe Artemis II: Inside NASA’s New Ride to the Moon
Jan 27, 2026
David Beeman, SLS lead and senior engineer who helped build NASA’s most powerful rocket. Branelle Rodriguez, Orion vehicle manager who designs life‑support for deep space. They tour Orion’s living systems and even the toilet. They also break down the Space Launch System’s engines, staging, testing and how it’s human‑rated for Artemis II.
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Orion's Built-In Redundancy
- Orion must protect astronauts from vacuum, provide air, and survive 40,000 km/h reentry while keeping cabin near room temperature.
- Engineers built redundant systems and thicker cabling to ensure reliability for deep-space missions.
From ISS Hardware To Orion
- Branelle Rodriguez started on ISS hardware, designing life support and emergency systems like fire extinguishers and urine monitors.
- She recounts the pride of seeing her hardware flown and hopes the fire extinguisher never needs use.
Design For Failure Scenarios
- Design systems to prevent failures but prepare robust contingency plans for plausible emergencies.
- Arm crews with necessary tools and procedures for scenarios engineers tried to rule out.