Lockheed Martin-Built Orion Readies for Artemis II Launch in May 2026
Artemis II is due for launch in May 2026 using Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft, marking the company's first crewed mission and unlocking service revenue potential. Edge Total Intelligence named Jason Nichols as CEO, following his record of leading 4,000 staff and securing $2.5B in defense contracts toward a US listing.
1. NASA Artemis II Mission and Lockheed’s Role
Lockheed Martin built the Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission, scheduled for launch in May 2026. This marks Lockheed’s first crewed deep-space flight, with potential multi-year service and support contracts that could boost its Space segment revenue by hundreds of millions annually.
2. EdgeTI Names Jason Nichols as CEO
Edge Total Intelligence has named Jason Nichols as CEO, leveraging his 20+ years of defense technology leadership at organizations including Lockheed Martin and ASRC Federal. Nichols led 4,000 employees and secured $2.5B in new defense contracts, aiming to scale the company’s AI-driven digital twin platforms toward a U.S. exchange listing, though direct impact on Lockheed Martin remains modest.