Rocket Lab CSD Satellite Separation Systems Power CubeSat Missions on Artemis II

The upper stage of the SLS rocket separates from the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission, with Rocket Lab CSD's visible within the Orion stage adapter. © NASA

NASA's Artemis II launch - the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years - was one for the history books that excited millions of people about space exploration and expanded humanity's reach further into space than ever before. But as well as inspiring a whole new generation of future astronauts, the Artemis II launch was also a proving ground for big missions packed inside tiny satellites that hitched a ride to space - and which also advanced small satellite deployment systems carrying hardware higher above Earth than ever.

Inside NASA's enormous SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, integrated to the Orion stage adapter (OSA), were four CubeSats carrying out high-risk, high-reward experiments in high Earth orbit. They were released to space to carry out their missions after the (OSA) separated from the Orion capsule that carried the Artemis II astronauts - all from our own satellite separation systems called Canisterized Satellite Dispensers (CSDs) that play a critical role in delivering payloads and small satellite missions safely to space.

Enabling CubeSat Missions in High Earth Orbit

Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) technicians complete closeouts with a Rocket Lab CSD for the K-Rad Cube, one of several international CubeSats that flew on NASA's Artemis II mission. © NASA

The CubeSats deployed on the Artemis II launch were created to run experiments in space that will help develop technologies for future lunar missions.

• K-Rad Cube by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) is a CubeSat that includes material designed to mimic human tissue. Its mission is to measure space radiation and better understand the potential biological effects at various altitudes across the Van Allen radiation belts, which is a critical area of research for human presence at the Moon and Mars.
• TACHELES by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is a CubeSat focused on the impact of space radiation on the electrical components of a future lunar rover system being designed in Germany.
• ATENEA by the Argentina National Space Activities Commission (CONAE) is a technology demonstration that also served as a platform for training engineers and students across Argentina.
• Space Weather CubeSat-1 by the Saudi Space Agency, which will measure space weather at a range of distances from Earth.

Rocket Lab's CSD separation system is seen here as technicians install the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) K-Rad Cube within the Orion stage adapter at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. © NASA

Rocket Lab's CSDs are the quiet enablers of these missions. Built to house and deploy CubeSats to space with precision, they ensure each satellite is released at the right time, velocity, and orientation to carry out their mission, which are critical factors when operating so far away in high Earth orbit - in some cases, up to 40,000km from Earth! Most importantly, CSDs are designed to constrain the payload during the flight, protecting it from the harsh thermal and vibratory environments. This key value of the CSD is why NASA chose it over any other dispenser.

Engineered for Reliability

Rocket Lab's CSD separation system is seen here as technicians install the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) K-Rad Cube within the Orion stage adapter at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. © NASA

Every CSD built by Rocket Lab is subjected to rigorous engineering and testing. They have to guarantee that the satellites they carry will be deployed flawlessly to space and can withstand the intensity of launching on a rocket. Vibration loads and thermal extremes are tested to make sure there is no impact to the CubeSat, and the CSD's redundant release mechanisms and spring systems must work on time, every time. For a crewed mission like Artemis II, the bar was even higher for the CSDs to make sure they met the very strict safety requirements for a crewed launch and posed zero risk to the astronauts or their primary mission.

When the time came to release their satellites, each of our CSDs met the moment exactly as expected. All four satellites were deployed flawlessly to high Earth orbit at around five hours after the launch of Artemis II on April 1, 2026.

A Small System with Big Impact - and 100% Mission Success

Seeing the CSDs they'd built launch on both Artemis I and this latest Artemis II mission was a proud moment for the Rocket Lab team.

"Every deployment is a moment of truth" said Alex Zajac, Senior Director of Separation Systems at Rocket Lab. "We've spent years designing, analyzing, and testing our CSDs to work for just a fraction of a second when its door opens and its springs push its CubeSat into space, and seeing each one complete its job perfectly for Artemis II under some of the most demanding conditions they've ever flown put smiles on the faces of every single person on the team."

"There's also the bigger picture of what our work means for human space exploration. All of the CubeSats our CSDs carried represent multiple countries and new technologies that are helping to shape the way future astronauts will explore the Moon and Mars. In our own small way, we're helping to make that possible. That's a big source of pride for every single person who touched the hardware and built those CSDs."

With the success of Artemis II pushing human exploration forward, Rocket Lab's CSDs showcase a key reality of modern spaceflight: even the smallest systems can have a huge impact.