NASA rolls out Artemis 3 SLS rocket's huge core stage to gear up for 2027 launch (photo)
Space • • general
Key Points:
- NASA has rolled out the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis 3, marking a significant milestone in the Artemis program's lunar exploration efforts.
- The core stage was transported from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to Kennedy Space Center via the Pegasus barge for final integration.
- Artemis 3, targeted for mid-2027, will be a crewed mission testing rendezvous and docking between NASA's Orion capsule and private lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin.
- Following Artemis 3, Artemis 4 aims to achieve a human landing near the moon's south pole, planned for late 2028, though the specific lander for this mission has not yet been determined.
- The Artemis 3 SLS core stage stands 212 feet tall once fully integrated, with the current rollout representing 80% of its height; this progress follows the successful Artemis 2 mission completed just 10 days earlier.
