Artemis 3 SLS rocket's core stage arrives in Florida for 2027 launch (photo)
Space • • science
Key Points:
- The top 80% of the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis 3 mission has arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a 900-mile journey from New Orleans.
- The rocket stage will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be joined with its engine section, completing the 212-foot-tall SLS core stage assembly.
- Artemis 3 will remain in Earth orbit to test docking operations between the Orion capsule and lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, rather than traveling to the moon itself.
- The Artemis 3 launch, initially planned for mid-2027, has been delayed to late 2027 to allow more preparation time for the Starship and Blue Moon landers.
- If Artemis 3 is successful, Artemis 4 aims to land astronauts on the moon by 2028 using one of the private lunar landers.
