Amentum Leads Successful Artemis II Rollout in Critical Preparation Phase of NASA Launch

Key Terms

space launch system (sls) technical

A space launch system (SLS) is a heavy-lift rocket and its supporting ground systems used to send spacecraft, cargo or crew from Earth into space — like a freight truck plus highway built for moving very large loads off-planet. It matters to investors because SLS programs involve substantial contracts, capital spending and technical or schedule risks; successes can create long-term revenue streams, while delays or failures can materially affect a company’s financial outlook and stock price.

orion spacecraft technical

A crew-capable deep-space vehicle designed to carry astronauts and cargo beyond low-Earth orbit, used for missions such as lunar and planetary exploration. Investors watch the Orion spacecraft because its development, launches and related contracts affect the revenues, costs and risk profiles of aerospace suppliers and contractors—like a new long-distance passenger train that creates business for builders, maintenance crews and component makers.

vehicle assembly building (vab) technical

A Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is a very large, climate-controlled facility where rockets and large launch vehicles are brought together, integrated and tested before going to the launch pad—think of it as a garage and workshop scaled up to house entire spacecraft. For investors, a VAB matters because it is a costly, strategic piece of infrastructure that affects a space company's ability to process launches, meet schedules, qualify for contracts, and control operational risk and capital expenditure.

launch complex 39b (lc-39b) technical

A government-owned rocket launch pad at a major spaceport designed for vertical liftoffs of large launch vehicles, with infrastructure for fueling, crew and cargo access, and ground control. For investors, it is like a specialized airport runway or concert stage: control and availability of this facility affect how often rockets can fly, how much it costs to launch, and how quickly commercial space businesses can scale revenue tied to launches.

crawler-transporter technical

A crawler-transporter is an enormous tracked vehicle that moves very heavy structures—like rockets or large industrial modules—between assembly and launch or transport sites. Think of it as a giant moving platform or specialized truck that carries fragile, high-value equipment slowly and steadily to avoid damage. For investors, crawler-transporters matter because they are critical pieces of infrastructure whose availability, cost, maintenance and reliability can affect project schedules, capital spending and the timing of revenue-sensitive milestones.

exploration ground systems (egs) technical

Exploration ground systems (EGS) are the network of Earth-based facilities, hardware and software that plan, command, monitor and receive data from space missions, including control centers, antennas, mission planning tools and data-processing systems. For investors, EGS represent the infrastructure and services that enable mission success, shape operating costs, drive contract revenue and create long-term technical risk or competitive advantage—think of them as a mission’s control tower and logistics hub combined.

Engineers Operate the Crawler-Transporter and Enable Critical Ground Operations at Kennedy Space Center

CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Amentum (NYSE: AMTM) led a major milestone for NASA’s Artemis II mission with the successful rollout of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) at Kennedy Space Center. The rollout marks a key step in final preparations for the crewed Artemis launch. During the mission, the Orion crew capsule will carry four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back. It will be propelled by the SLS, the most powerful and capable rocket NASA has ever built.

Artemis II successful rollout. (Photo by Amentum)

“The successful rollout and preparation of Artemis II is a clear reminder of the responsibility entrusted to our team,” said Mark Walter, president of Amentum’s Engineering & Technology business. “Amentum delivered the engineering expertise and operational discipline that made this milestone possible, ensuring Artemis II’s progress towards launch preparations and advancing our nation’s human space exploration mission.”

During rollout operations, Amentum engineers and technicians played a central role in operating the crawler-transporter, the massive transporter used to move the mobile launch platform with the fully stacked SLS and Orion from the VAB to LC-39B. The multi-hour journey required precise coordination, continuous systems monitoring, and close integration with multiple teams to safely transport NASA’s most powerful rocket.

Under NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program, Amentum is providing engineering, technicians, and systems integration for Artemis II. Amentum is responsible for maintaining and modernizing ground equipment, integrating and testing launch vehicles, and supporting launch, recovery, and overall operations for Orion and the SLS.

The crawler-transporter is a cornerstone of NASA’s ground infrastructure, designed to carry the SLS and Orion over several miles, including up a slope to the pad surface, at a carefully controlled pace and with extreme precision. Amentum’s role in operating and sustaining the crawler reflects decades of experience in high-consequence ground operations and mission-critical systems at Kennedy Space Center.

Artemis II is scheduled to launch early this year. With the successful rollout, NASA and Amentum have moved to the next major phase of this critical mission, including pad integration activities, final checkouts, and launch readiness activities.

About Amentum

Amentum is a global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions, trusted by the United States and its allies to address their most significant and complex challenges in science, security and sustainability. Our people apply undaunted curiosity, relentless ambition and boundless imagination to challenge convention and drive progress. Our commitments are underpinned by the belief that safety, collaboration and well-being are integral to success. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, we have approximately 50,000 employees in more than 70 countries across all 7 continents.

Visit us at amentum.com to learn how we advance the future together.

Follow @Amentum_corp on X

Follow Amentum on LinkedIn

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains or incorporates by reference statements by Amentum Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) that relate to future events and expectations and, as such, constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements may be characterized by terminology such as “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “target,” “endeavor,” “seek,” “predict,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements, other than historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated work and revenue under the awarded contract, and the Company’s objectives, expectations and intentions, applicable legal, economic and regulatory conditions, and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, are forward-looking statements.

A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by these forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, among others: the occurrence of an accident or safety incident; the ability of the Company to control costs, meet performance requirements or contractual schedules; and other factors set forth under Item 1A, Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2024, which can be found at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or the Investor Relations portion of our website at www.amentum.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119993895/en/

Media Contact:

David Hylton

david.hylton@amentum.com

Investor Contact:

Nathan Rutledge

IR@amentum.com

Source: Amentum