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10/16/2023
Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Norfolk Southern Railway and Florida East Coast Railway recently took part in the Artemis II space mission, transporting 10 rocket motors from Northrop Grumman in Corinne, Utah, to NASA at Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to an article on UP's website.
The mission is scheduled for late 2024, when Artemis astronauts will attempt to traverse around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
The Artemis boosters are the largest and most powerful ever constructed for spaceflight, generating more than 75% of the total thrust at lift-off for NASA's Space Launch System, the article said.
Due to their weight and size, the motor segments required transportation by rail across eight states in specialized carriers to the spaceport. Along with the rocket motors, the journey involved two locomotives, 10 buffer cars, and specialized pathfinding equipment. UP agents provided security and support on the journey.
UP and NS posted photos and videos of the Artemis II rail journey on their websites. UP's video can be viewed here; NS' photos and links to b-roll video can be viewed here.