As of January 20, 2026, the global aerospace community is fixated on Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B. NASA has successfully rolled out the Space Launch System (SLS) for the Artemis II mission, with the first viable launch window confirmed for early February 2026. While the primary objective remains sending four astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – on a lunar flyby, a quartet of robotic “hitchhikers” tucked inside the rocket is poised to deliver critical scientific data.
The Secondary Payloads
The Artemis II mission carries four CubeSats, small satellites housed within the Orion Stage Adapter (OSA). These payloads, provided by signatories of the Artemis Accords, represent a significant leap in international collaboration. Unlike previous missions where secondary payloads were often experimental afterthoughts, these satellites are integral to understanding the deep space environment.
The CubeSats will deploy approximately five hours after launch. Following the separation of the Orion spacecraft and the disposal of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), the avionics unit will trigger the release of these satellites at one-minute intervals into a high Earth orbit. This trajectory allows them to conduct high-risk, high-reward experiments in the intense radiation environment of the Van Allen belts.
Payload Manifest
The four selected CubeSats represent a diverse mix of technology demonstration and pure science, hailing from Argentina, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Germany.
| CubeSat | Agency | Type | Primary Mission Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATENEA | CONAE (Argentina) | Technology Demo | Demonstrate radiation shielding methods and validate long-range communication links and GPS navigation in deep space. |
| K-RadCube | KASA (South Korea) | Science Experiment | Measure space radiation effects using a dosimeter made of material mimicking human tissue to assess astronaut safety. |
| Space Weather CubeSat-1 | SSA (Saudi Arabia) | Science Experiment | Monitor space weather variations and solar activity from high Earth orbit to improve predictive capabilities. |
| TACHELES | DLR (Germany) | Technology Demo | Test miniaturized rover electronics (HiveR) and radiation endurance for future lunar surface operations. |
Scientific Objectives
The scientific value of these small satellites is substantial. K-RadCube, developed by the newly formed Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), is particularly notable for its biological focus. By using tissue-equivalent materials to measure radiation, it provides data directly applicable to astronaut safety on future Mars missions.
Similarly, the Space Weather CubeSat-1 (SWC-1) from the Saudi Space Agency addresses the critical need to predict solar events that could disrupt communications or endanger crews. ATENEA and TACHELES focus on the hardware necessary to survive this environment, testing shielding and rover electronics respectively.
Launch Status
According to reports from January 2026, engineers are finalizing “wet dress rehearsal” procedures at the pad. The deployment of these CubeSats depends entirely on the successful orbital insertion of the SLS upper stage. If the February 6–11 launch window is met, data from these satellites could begin streaming back to Earth within the first day of the mission, offering immediate returns on this international investment.
