Both SRBs Continue to be Stacked on the Mobile Launcher for the Next Flight of SLS...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Artemis III Booster Stacking (Photo Release - August 28)

Technicians inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida complete integration of the left and right center center solid rocket booster segment onto the left and right aft center booster segment for the Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on the Mobile Launcher inside High Bay 3 - on Friday, August 28, 2026.

The twin boosters, comprising of five segments each manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Kim Shiflett

Another Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Artemis III RS-25 Engines Installed (Photo Release)

Technicians install three of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines on the work stand for integration with the Artemis III core stage rocket on Friday, August 28, 2026, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During Artemis III, the four RS-25 engines will launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew of four into low-Earth orbit, generating more than two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Kim Shiflett

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Clayton Rougelot

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing: #3 Lift (Photo Release)

The first of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines is installed on the work stand and integrated with the Artemis III core stage rocket on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During Artemis III, the four RS‑25 engines will launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew of four into low-Earth orbit, generating more than two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Clayton Rougelot


NASA / Clayton Rougelot


NASA / Clayton Rougelot


NASA / Clayton Rougelot


NASA / Clayton Rougelot

Assembly Has Begun on the Sixth Space Launch System!

Michael DeMocker

Production Begins on Artemis VI Core Stage Hardware (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans continue to make progress manufacturing core stages for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. In August, teams with NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, completed the first ring for the sixth SLS core stage. The core stage rings are welded together through a friction-stir welding process.

A completed ring is 27.6 feet in diameter and serves as a connection point to join the large core stage structures together. The rings also provide structural stability to the bottom of the domes.

The 212-foot-tall SLS rocket core stage is made up of 10 major barrel sections, four dome sections, and seven rings. The components come together to form the five major sections of the core stage – the engine section, liquid hydrogen tank, intertank, liquid oxygen tank, and forward skirt.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Michael DeMocker

Assembly of the Twin SRBs for the Next SLS Rocket Moves Closer to Completion...

NASA / Cory Huston

Artemis III Nose Cone Arrival (Photo Release)

The left, with black stripe, and right aerodynamic forward assemblies for the twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for Artemis III arrive at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida - on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

The nose cones will be integrated atop the SLS boosters to provide a smooth, pointed shape that allows the boosters to cut through the atmosphere efficiently, reducing drag and keeping the rocket stable during ascent.

Artemis III will carry out a series of objectives in low-Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV. 

Source: NASA.Gov

Both SRBs Continue to be Stacked on the Mobile Launcher for the Next Flight of SLS...

NASA / Cory S Huston

Assembly of the Artemis III SLS rocket RAC (Photo Release)

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left and right aft center booster segments for Artemis III are lowered onto their aft assembly segments for integration on the Mobile Launcher for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

The twin boosters, comprising of five segments each manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Cory S Huston

The Latest Update on the Fifth Space Launch System...

Morgan Parker

Artemis V Engine Section Barrel Enters Vertical Assembly Center (Photo Release)

Teams at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans load the 25-foot-long engine section barrel into the vertical assembly center on August 5, 2026. The engine section will be used on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage for the agency’s Artemis V mission. On the vertical assembly center tooling, teams will mate the flight hardware to a ring, which will serve as an attachment point for the liquid hydrogen tank later in the production process.

The engine section is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage; and houses various avionic systems, the engine thrust structure, and four RS-25 engines. The core stage produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Morgan Parker

The Latest Update on the Next Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle...

NASA / Amber Jean Notvest

Artemis III Orion Crew and Service Module Mate (Photo Release)

Engineers finish connecting the Artemis III Orion crew and service modules on Friday, July 31, 2026, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Now integrated, the team will power up the combined crew and service module for the first time then begin altitude chamber testing, which will put the spacecraft through conditions as close as possible to the environment that it will experience in low-Earth orbit.

Artemis III and the four-person crew will carry out a series of objectives in low-Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV. 

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Amber Jean Notvest

Another Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Sam Lott

NASA Technicians Weld Final Panel for New SLS Hardware (Photo Release)

These images show the spacer that will be used on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) for the Artemis III mission.

At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, technicians complete the eighth and final friction stir weld on the barrel section. With the barrel now removed from the Vertical Weld Tool, inspections are underway.

The next major milestone will be the installation of the top and bottom rings.

The spacer will take the place of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) on Artemis III, with the ICPS reassigned for use on the Artemis IV mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Sam Lott

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing (Photo Release)

All four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines - built by L3 Harris Technologies - were delivered to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the Artemis III mission, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

The engines arrived from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and will be installed in the SLS rocket's core stage for integration atop the Mobile Launcher.

During Artemis III the engines will propel the Orion spacecraft, carrying four astronauts, into low-Earth orbit - providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing at KSC (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offload the third of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines built by L3 Harris Technologies for the agency's Artemis III mission on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, inside the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

The SLS rocket will use four RS-25 engines in the core stage to propel the Orion spacecraft into orbit providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery and economic benefits, establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

Both SLS SRBs Are Ready to be Fully Assembled on the Mobile Launcher...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis III Booster Stacking Coverage (Photo Release)

The left-hand and right-hand aft assembly solid rocket booster segments for NASA’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket are secured to the Mobile Launcher at the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida - on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

The twin boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch astronauts in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux

The Latest Update on the Fourth SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker

Artemis IV Liquid Hydrogen Tank Completes Proof Testing (Photo Release)

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans transport the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank from the proof testing building to the main factory on July 10. The liquid hydrogen tank will form part of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the agency’s Artemis IV mission, providing thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to the rocket engines during launch. Soon, teams with SLS prime contractor, Boeing, will move the tank into the facility’s vertical assembly building for cleaning operations.

The liquid hydrogen propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Third SLS Rocket Has Begun Taking Shape at KSC!

NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Artemis III Booster Stacking Coverage - LH Aft Assembly (Photo Release)

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems lowered and secured the left-hand aft assembly solid rocket booster segment for NASA’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to the Mobile Launcher at the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

The twin boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Ben Smegelsky

The Latest Update on the Next Orion Capsule...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Artemis III Crew Module, Heat Shield (Photo Release)

Teams work to complete the installation of the heat shield on the Artemis III Orion spacecraft inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Orion's heat shield consists of 186 blocks of an ablative material called Avcoat, with each block meticulously and individually inspected.

The heat shield is responsible for protecting the astronauts from the extreme temperatures as they reenter Earth’s atmosphere at the end of the mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

Another Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing at KSC (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offload the second of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines built by L3 Harris Technologies for the agency's Artemis III mission on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, inside the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

The SLS rocket will use four RS-25 engines in the core stage to propel the Orion spacecraft into orbit providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery and economic benefits, establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Latest Update on the Third SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis III RS-25 Engine Processing at KSC (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida offload the first of four RS-25 SLS (Space Launch System) rocket engines for the agency's Artemis III mission on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, inside the center’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

The SLS rocket will use four RS-25 engines in the core stage to propel the Orion spacecraft into orbit providing over two million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

As part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux

The Latest Update on the Fourth SLS Core Stage Booster...

NASA / Eric Bordelon

Artemis IV Liquid Oxygen Tank Moves to Next Phase of Production (Photo Release)

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production.

The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Source: NASA.Gov

More Flight Components for the Third SLS Rocket Are Now Arriving in Florida...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis III SRB Arrival Unboxing - LH (Left-Hand) Booster Segment (Photo Release)

The left-hand forward solid rocket booster segment for NASA’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is removed from its shipping container ahead of processing inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

The SLS rocket’s twin boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 percent of the SLS rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Frank Michaux

The Latest Update on Humanity's First Orbital Moon Outpost...

Lanteris Space Systems

Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element Undergoes Battery Installations (Photo Release)

Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) undergoes battery installations at Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California, in January 2026.

PPE is a 60-kilowatt solar electric propulsion spacecraft that will supply the lunar space station with power, high-rate communications, attitude control, orbit maintenance, and orbit transfer capabilities.

The PPE's design is based on Lanteris Space Systems’ commercial 1300 bus, enhanced with the most powerful Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) thrusters and the largest roll-out solar arrays (ROSAs) ever developed.

Lanteris Space Systems is the lead industry partner for PPE’s design, manufacturing and integration.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Lanteris Space Systems


Lanteris Space Systems


Lanteris Space Systems