Aptiv Highlights VxWorks Role in Artemis II Safe Astronaut Return
April 13, 2026
News
Upon the safe return of four astronauts, Aptiv commended NASA on its successful Artemis II lunar mission. Aptiv was involved in the mission with its VxWorks delivering the software platform that enabled deterministic performance for critical functions on the Space Launch System’s (SLS) first stage of launch and within the Orion crew vehicle.
VxWorks is a real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for mission-critical applications that has been integrated in various NASA missions including Mars rovers, James Webb Space Telescope, and as a key OS layer for multiple NASA core Flight System elements.
“Artemis II is a reminder of what is possible when the right software underpins the right mission,” said Jay Bellissimo, Senior Vice President and President, Intelligent Systems, Software and Services, Aptiv. “Our teams have spent decades building software that people trust with their lives. Seeing that software on a mission to bring four astronauts around the moon and back is something for which we’re truly proud.
According to Aptiv, throughout the mission an essential tool for astronaut safety was the Orion Backup Flight System (BFS). The BFS is class A certified and stands alone from the primary flight system. It was purpose-built with differing architectures, no shared failure modes, or common vulnerabilities.
In addition to providing flight software, Aptiv utilized a digital twin simulation to ensure that every line of software was validated before it ran on physical hardware. Design teams tested unmodified target software on a virtual platform acting as a real-world model, decoupling software development from hardware availability. Aptiv noted up to 80-90% of simulation models can be reused for future missions.
Find out more about NASA’s MSFC flight software, Orion crew vehicle, and Aptiv's history in space.
For more information, visit aptiv.com and windriver.com.
Chad Cox. Production Editor, Embedded Computing Design, has responsibilities that include handling the news cycle, newsletters, social media, and advertising. Chad graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Cultural and Analytical Literature.
