NASA Rolls Out Artemis III SLS Core Stage for Moon Mission
Summary: NASA rolled out the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage — the largest section of the rocket — for the Artemis III crewed Moon landing mission on April 20, 2026. The 212-foot core stage was transported from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency's Pegasus barge, marking key progress toward the first crewed lunar landing under Artemis in two years.
Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker (Public Domain)
Background
Following the successful test flight of the Artemis II mission around the Moon, NASA has accelerated preparation for Artemis III — the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The SLS core stage is the backbone of the Artemis III rocket, containing the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt. The completed core stage stands 212 feet tall and will house more than 733,000 gallons of super-chilled liquid propellant to fuel four RS-25 engines.
Transport Operations
On April 20, engineers used highly specialized transporters to maneuver the top four-fifths of the SLS core stage from inside the Michoud Assembly Facility to the Pegasus barge for delivery to Kennedy Space Center. After arrival in Florida, teams will complete the stage outfitting and vertical integration. NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program will then stack the rocket's components in preparation for launch.
Significance
"Seeing this SLS rocket hardware roll out is a powerful reminder of our progress toward returning humans to the lunar surface," said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. "This is the backbone of Artemis III. As it heads to Florida for final integration, we are one step closer to testing the critical capabilities needed to land Americans on the Moon, and ultimately, paving the way for our first crewed missions to Mars."
The Artemis III mission is currently targeted for launch in 2027, when astronauts will land near the lunar South Pole aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft.