SLS Core Stage Rolls Out for Artemis III Moon Mission

NASA has advanced its Artemis III mission preparations with the recent departure of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's core stage. This pivotal section was moved from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on April 20, 2026.

The core stage, standing 212 feet tall, is the largest part of the SLS rocket. It contains propellant tanks holding over 733,000 gallons of liquid propellant to feed four RS-25 engines. The stage is designed to operate for over eight minutes, generating more than 2 million pounds of thrust.

This movement signifies substantial progress toward the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027, which aims to land humans on the Moon. The core stage will undergo final integration at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Boeing and L3Harris Technologies are collaborating on the core stage's development and assembly. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's recent directives have helped streamline production and operations for the Artemis program.

The Artemis III mission is slated to launch astronauts to lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft. This mission will test rendezvous and docking capabilities essential for future lunar landings and ultimately supports NASA's broader goals for lunar exploration and eventual crewed missions to Mars.