[1] EGS is preparing the infrastructure to support NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and its payloads, such as the Orion spacecraft for Artemis I.

Blue Origin filed a protest to the Government Accountability Office that the pad should not be made exclusive, and should be operated by a tenant that would sublease to multiple different users and rockets to take advantage of.

However, the GAO rejected this petition and allowed the lease to SpaceX, as there was no stated preference by NASA for or against a multiuser approach.

[13]: ii  However, in March 2020, a report from the NASA Inspector General came out, stating that ML-1 is running 3 years behind schedule and had cost $927M in total ($234M for the initial construction for Ares, and $693M for adapting it for SLS).

[15]: 7  ML-2 is expected to run into fewer challenges than ML-1, the Inspector General report states, as NASA is "taking steps to incorporate lessons learned" from ML-1.

[15]: 18  For example, as suggested by a June 2019 Government Accountability Office report,[20]: 31  NASA concurred[20]: 67  that 3D modeling software shall be used "to better integrate components, manage requirement changes, and provide up-to-date designs for all stakeholders".

[22][23] October 17, 2018 – The first high speed retract test was completed on the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) on the MLP.

The OSMU will transfer power, data, and coolant for the electronics, and purge air for the environmental controls to the Orion service module and Launch Abort System.

[24][25] November 19, 2018 – The Crew/Service Module Mock-up and Orion Transportation Pallet (OTP) were successfully moved to the Servicing Stand, as part of the Handling and Access (H&A) subsystem Verification and Validation testing at the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF).

[27] July 25, 2019 – A flow test of the Ignition Overpressure Protection and Sound Suppression water deluge system was conducted on the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B.

The Orion spacecraft that will fly to the Moon on NASA's Artemis 1 mission was lifted atop its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on October 20, completing major assembly of the full vehicle stack in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.

This first flight test of the world’s most powerful rocket sent an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to lunar orbit and back in preparation for sending humans to live and work on the Moon.