NASA starts preparations for Artemis III mission with Space Launch System rollout

Key Points:

• NASA has rolled out the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the largest section set to carry Artemis III astronauts on a mission to the moon in 2027, marking a significant step toward the first crewed lunar landing in over 50 years.
• The core stage, standing 212 feet tall and built by Boeing and L3Harris Technologies, contains two large propellant tanks holding over 733,000 gallons of super-chilled fuel and powers four RS-25 engines to generate over two million pounds of thrust during launch.
• After departing NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, the core stage is being transported to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final assembly and integration in preparation for launch.
• Artemis III will test critical rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and commercial spacecraft, essential for future crewed lunar missions and paving the way for eventual human missions to Mars.
• The SLS rocket is designed to launch astronauts, the Orion spacecraft, and supplies to deep space in a single mission, supporting NASA’s Artemis program goal of returning humans to the lunar surface.