Photo of the Day: Another Glimpse of the Next Mega-Moon Rocket at KSC...

Lockheed Martin

This latest image of the Artemis 2 rocket was released by Lockheed Martin earlier today—showing the 322-foot-tall vehicle surrounded by work platforms inside the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

Electrical and data connections were made between the Orion crew capsule Integrity and the Space Launch System prior to testing being conducted before the mega-Moon rocket is rolled out to KSC's Launch Complex 39B for a wet dress rehearsal...scheduled for early next year.

Artemis 2 is still targeted for launch between early February and April of 2026. Stay tuned!

THE ARTEMIS 2 ROCKET IS COMPLETE!

NASA / Sean Duffy

A few hours ago, NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy shared these online photos of the Orion crew capsule Integrity being mated to the Space Launch System inside the Vehicle Assembly Building's (VAB) High Bay 3 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida...completing the Artemis 2 rocket!

A series of tests will now be conducted—both with and without the four Artemis 2 astronauts—on the mega-Moon rocket and its Mobile Launcher while they sit inside the VAB. We'll have to wait till the U.S. government shutdown ends before NASA can finally release official images of Orion and SLS as they were being prepped for this major milestone over the past few weeks.

An NET February launch date is still being targeted for Artemis 2, but I wouldn't be surprised if this lunar mission takes flight (during a daytime launch?) in March instead. Stay tuned!


NASA / Sean Duffy

Integrity Is Ready to be Mated to the Artemis 2 Rocket!

NASA / Sean Duffy

Late last night, the Orion crew capsule Integrity was transported from Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Launch Abort System Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida...where Integrity will be integrated with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis 2.

Despite the current U.S. government shutdown, NASA's plan to fly astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972 still remains on track for an NET February launch next year. Since NASA's social media accounts are temporarily inactive due to the shutdown, space aficionados will have to rely on pictures taken by NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy and KSC workers who post their photos of Artemis 2 launch preps on Twitter/X.

We'll see how long we'll have to wait for images showing Integrity finally attached to SLS to be posted online!


NASA / Sean Duffy

Artemis II your ride to the moon has arrived.
NASA's Orion "Integrity" Capsule has rolled out from the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF), to the VAB at KSC for stacking atop the awaiting SLS rocket, ahead of launch early next year.@NASASpaceflight https://t.co/BEepgAJYUG pic.twitter.com/cDPgoBX3GR

— Elisar Priel (@ENNEPS) October 17, 2025

The Orion spacecraft named 'Integrity', the final piece of the rocket that will fly the Artemis 2 mission next year, is now at the Vehicle Assembly Building. It will soon be stacked on the Space Launch System rocket and then teams will begin a series of tests and checkouts on the… pic.twitter.com/taqmQSLCBw

— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 17, 2025

Orion has arrived in the VAB ahead of Artemis II, scheduled to fly a crew of four to the Moon NET February 2026 🏹 pic.twitter.com/Fark3pG4gO

— Harper Cheyenne 🚀 (@RocketGirlHarp) October 18, 2025