NASA shared a slow motion video of the forward bay cover jettison test, which was completed on Nov. 23. The test demonstrated the processes for ejecting the spacecraft's docking module, which is required to properly unfold Orion's parachute system and deploy the five airbags designed to inflate upon splashdown, according to the statement.

Though it isn't expected to launch until 2026 at the earliest, NASA is quietly preparing its SLS rocket for the Artemis II lunar mission.

The newly revised Artemis 3 timeline still keeps the United States ahead of China, which has said it plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030. Both nations are targeting the lunar south pole, which is thought to be rich in water ice, a crucial resource for a settlement or research outpost.