NASA integrated the Artemis III Space Launch System core stage with twin solid rocket boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 28, 2026. Technicians used a specialized lifting beam to position the 212-foot rocket stage.
Core Stage Integration
Technicians lifted the 212-foot rocket stage from High Bay 2 using a one-of-a-kind lifting beam designed to place the stage onto the mobile launcher inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building.
The integration alongside the twin solid rocket booster motor segments completes the short stack configuration for the Artemis III mission.
Upcoming Testing and Mission Goals
According to NASA, teams will roll the core stage and booster stack out to Launch Pad 39B after completing testing and checkouts. The rollout will support a tanking test where liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel will be loaded into the core stage, allowing launch teams to practice countdown procedures and timelines.
The Artemis III mission will launch NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano aboard the Orion spacecraft atop the SLS rocket. The flight will test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft from Blue Origin and SpaceX.
Key facts and where they come from
- The Artemis III SLS core stage was integrated with twin solid rocket boosters inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on October 28.
NASA’s Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) core stage is integrated alongside the twin solid rocket boosters on Oct. 28 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- Technicians utilized a specialized lifting beam to move the 212-foot rocket stage from High Bay 2.
Technicians lifted the 212-foot rocket stage from the facility’s High Bay 2 using a one-of-a kind lifting beam designed to place the stage onto the mobile launcher.
- The mission will launch astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and Luca Parmitano to test rendezvous and docking with commercial spacecraft.
The Artemis III mission will launch NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft from Blue Origin and SpaceX
