posted 03-11-2021 03:30 PM               

Artemis III

NASA's Artemis III mission will launch four astronauts into Earth orbit aboard an Orion spacecraft on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land the Artemis IV crew on the moon in 2028.

posted 03-11-2021 03:38 PM               

At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, technicians from Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin have welded together three cone-shaped panels on Orion’s crew module for the Artemis III mission.

The crew module’s primary structure, the pressure vessel, is comprised of seven machined aluminum alloy pieces that are welded together through a weld process that produces a strong, air-tight habitable space for astronauts during the mission.

Once welding of the Artemis III crew module primary structure is complete, it will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will undergo further assembly beginning this fall.

posted 12-06-2022 01:50 PM               

NASA advances moon rocket production for Artemis III, future missions

NASA is moving forward with Space Launch System (SLS) production and assembly activities for future Artemis missions.

Above: Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the engine section flight hardware to the agency’s Pegasus barge Sunday, Dec. 4. The barge will ferry the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis III to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Teams at Kennedy will finish outfitting the engine section, which comprises the tail-end of the 212-foot-tall core stage, before integrating it with the rest of the stage. (NASA/Michael DeMocker)

The agency is optimizing manufacturing capabilities by enabling SLS core stage lead contractor Boeing to use facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to perform some core stage assembly and outfitting activities beginning with the Artemis III rocket. In tandem, teams will continue all core stage manufacturing activities at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

As the SLS program transitions from rocket development efforts to operations, NASA and Boeing evaluated how to improve upon the time required to produce each core stage and best use space at Michoud.

"We're making progress developing, manufacturing, and assembling elements for future Artemis missions," said Jim Free, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. "Our collective workforce across NASA centers and industry partners plays a key role in accomplishing NASA's long-term plans for exploring the Moon."

Beginning with production for Artemis III, NASA and Boeing will use Michoud, where the SLS core stages are currently manufactured, to produce and outfit the core stage elements, and available space at Kennedy for final assembly and integration. This opportunity provides for multiple mission elements to be manufactured and outfitted at the same time and for the workforce at Michoud to begin building the rocket's exploration upper stage, which will enable SLS to send even heavier and larger cargo to the Moon on the same missions with astronauts beginning with Artemis IV.

All five major core stage structures will be manufactured at Michoud using current robotic welding tools and fixtures and complete all thermal protection system spray applications at Michoud. There, the forward skirt, the intertank, liquid oxygen tank, and the liquid hydrogen will continue to be outfitted and joined to form the upper part of the core stage. Upon completion, these structures, which comprise the top four-fifths of the 212-foot-tall stage, will be shipped to Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where they will be joined and vertically integrated in High Bay 2.

Once the engine section structure is manufactured, it will be transported to Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility for outfitting in the facility. When the engine section is completely outfitted, it and the stage's four RS-25 engines will be moved to the VAB's High Bay 2 for integration with the rest of the core stage, where technicians can more easily move it for stacking and assembly operations.

Four of five major core stage parts for Artemis II have been joined, and teams are outfitting the last part, the engine section, and will soon connect it and the RS-25 engines to complete the stage at Michoud. The Artemis II stage is scheduled to be completed and delivered to Kennedy in 2023. The engine section for the Artemis III SLS core stage is expected to arrive at Kennedy in mid-December.

posted 01-18-2023 11:06 AM               

April 18, 2022 - The core stage liquid hydrogen tank for the Artemis III mission completed proof testing, and technicians returned it to the main factory building at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans where it will undergo more outfitting.

July 27, 2022 — Teams completed the welding of the Artemis III core stage liquid oxygen tank dome at the NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

October 26, 2022 — Technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility move the intertank of NASA's Space Launch System rocket for Artemis III to Cell G to await application of the thermal protection system.

December 15, 2022 — The engine section of the Space Launch System rocket's core stage for NASA's Artemis III mission is moved on a work stand into the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

posted 05-04-2023 02:26 PM               

Aerojet Rocketdyne Delivers Propulsion for Artemis III Mission

Aerojet Rocketdyne recently completed the four RS-25 engines that will power the core stage of NASA's super heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during the Artemis III mission.

"The Artemis III mission is pivotal in our nation's goal to return American astronauts to the surface of the Moon, establish a sustained presence there and pave the way for crewed missions to Mars," said Eileen P. Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. "As our nation makes this next giant leap in its space program, it is leveraging the extensive knowledge and lessons learned that were gained during our earlier exploration efforts, including the Apollo, Space Shuttle and Artemis I missions. We are truly standing on the shoulders of those who pioneered the exploration of deep space."

The four RS-25 engines that will power the SLS rocket's core stage during the Artemis III mission have been upgraded following their service during the shuttle program and will now generate about 2 million pounds of combined thrust. The Artemis III RS-25 engines safely flew 138 individual astronauts to orbit and supported 26 Space Shuttle missions, including:

• Multiple International Space Station assembly missions
  
• STS-95: The flight of then-U.S. Senator John Glenn, one of NASA's original Mercury astronauts
  
• STS-114: The Space Shuttle program's return to flight following the Columbia accident
  
• STS-125: The final Hubble servicing mission

In addition to the RS-25 engines, Aerojet Rocketdyne has delivered all of its other propulsion systems for the Artemis III SLS rocket and a majority of the propulsion systems for the Orion spacecraft.

Additional Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion on the Artemis III mission includes the RL10 engine and 12 MR-106 reaction control system thrusters that will support the SLS's second stage, called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage. Aerojet Rocketdyne also supplies major propulsion elements for NASA's Orion spacecraft, including the Orion Main Engine; the jettison motor on the Launch Abort System; eight auxiliary engines for trajectory control and positioning on the service module; and 12 reaction control system engines that guide the Orion crew module's atmospheric re-entry.

Aerojet Rocketdyne's Artemis III propulsion contributions are designed, built and tested at various sites across the country, including Los Angeles, California; NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi; West Palm Beach, Florida; Redmond, Washington; Huntsville, Alabama; and Orange, Virginia. The pressurized tanks used for Orion's life support systems and flotation system for recovery at sea were manufactured and delivered by Aerojet Rocketdyne's ARDÉ subsidiary, located in Carlstadt, New Jersey.

posted 08-17-2023 11:36 AM               

Check out ULA photos from the arrival of ICPS-3 [Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage-3], the upper stage that will propel Artemis III astronauts.

posted 01-05-2024 05:50 PM               

Teams move the core stage liquid hydrogen tank for the Artemis III mission to a priming cell near the Vertical Assembly Building at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans Nov. 21, 2023. Technichians will sand down and prepare the suface of the tank before coating it in a primer. Primer is applied to the barrel section of the tank by an automated robotic tool, whereas the forward and aft domes are primed manually.

Once priming is complete, technicians with NASA and Boeing, the SLS core stage prime contractor, will apply a foam-based thermal protection system, which protects the propellant tank from the extreme temperatures it will face during launch and flight while also regulating the super-chilled propellant within it.

posted 01-09-2024 07:02 PM               

NASA delays Artemis II and III astronaut moon missions to 2025, '26

NASA has delayed the return of astronauts to the moon to address engineering issues and provide more time for the development of new vehicles and equipment.

... NASA also pushed back Artemis III, its first mission to land astronauts on the moon since the Apollo program did so more than 50 years ago, from late 2025 to September 2026. The delay acknowledges development challenges that have been experienced by NASA's commercial partners, including SpaceX for the human landing system and Axiom Space for next-generation lunar spacesuits.

posted 09-03-2024 06:59 PM               

The transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA's Artemis III mission arrives at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024.

posted 05-22-2025 09:37 AM               

Orange coat complete: Moon rocket on the move

Teams transport the core stage for NASA's Artemis III mission after applying thermal protection foam.

Technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, have completed spraying Thermal Protection System (TPS) foam on the Core Stage 3 liquid hydrogen tank.

Why it matters: TPS, which is what gives the rocket its orange color, insulates the stage from extreme temperatures during launch and maintains the liquid hydrogen at minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit (217 degrees Celsius) while on the pad.

This third core stage built by Boeing will power the Artemis III mission.

What they're saying: "There are better process controls in place than we've ever had before, and there are specialized production technicians who must have certifications to operate the system. It's quite an accomplishment and a lot of pride in knowing that we've completed this step of the build process," said Boeing's Brian Jeansonne, the integrated product team senior leader for the thermal protection system at NASA Michoud.

posted 05-28-2025 09:23 PM               

Orion Roars to Life: Successful Power On Paves Way for Artemis III

In a major milestone for NASA's Artemis campaign, the Orion team recently powered on the Artemis III spacecraft's computers for the very first time.

This activity was the initial time the two vehicle management computers and the six power and data units were installed in the crew module, loaded with flight software, powered on and tested.

These core avionic systems, known as the "brain and heart" of the Orion capsule, are essential to test to ensure crew module subsystems are safe and reliable for flight.

Unprecedented Power

Each of Orion's redundant flight computers are 20,000 times faster than the one on Apollo, and are substantially faster than flight computers on the space shuttle and the International Space Station. Its triple-redundant data network and gigabit ethernet technology enable rapid communication between systems, making it an ideal platform for deep space exploration.

"Over the next few months, our team will continue integrating the 70 components that make up the spacecraft avionics suite, connecting them with nearly 400 harnesses," said Nathan Varn, director of Orion assembly at Lockheed Martin. "We'll then put the vehicle through a series of functional tests to ensure all components are ready to move on to environmental testing, where the spacecraft is pushed to its limits."

posted 04-16-2026 08:38 PM               

SRB aft skirts arrive, forward segment unboxed

The solid rocket booster aft skirt segments for the Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket arrived at a rail yard near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

Comprising the bottom of the twin, five-segment solid rocket boosters, the aft skirt segments traveled by train to the Florida spaceport and will be transferred from the rail yard to Kennedy’s Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) for processing.

Separately, the left-hand forward solid rocket booster segment was removed from its shipping container ahead of processing inside the RPSF on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

posted 04-16-2026 08:43 PM               

Mobile Launcher rolls

Following the conclusion of NASA's Artemis II test flight, teams at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are shifting focus to Artemis III, which is targeted to launch next year, by rolling the mobile launcher from Launch Complex 39B to NASA's Kennedy Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida in preparation for rocket stacking operations.

The mobile launcher began its approximately 4-mile trek on top of the agency's crawler-transporter 2 at 8:11 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 16, two weeks after sending NASA astronauts and Artemis II crew members Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and (CSA) Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on their record-setting journey around the moon and back.

Once it returns to the VAB, teams will continue to perform additional checkouts, inspections and data analysis and begin making repairs to the flame hole panels, elevators, pneumatic panels, and umbilicals that were damaged. Application of lessons learned from Artemis I to harden and reinforce ground support equipment at the pad proved successful as the mobile launcher and launch pad sustained minimal damage from the 8.8 million pounds of thrust expelled at booster ignition.

The mobile launcher paused operations on Thursday to give ground teams an opportunity to rest, and will resume operations and proceed to the VAB on Friday, April 17.

posted 04-20-2026 04:01 PM               

NASA Rolls Out Artemis III Moon Rocket Core Stage

NASA rolled out the core stage, or the largest section, of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch the crewed Artemis III mission in 2027. The stage departed from the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Monday (April 20) for shipment to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking key progress on the path to the agency's first crewed lunar landing mission to the Moon under the Artemis program in two years.

Above: NASA moved the core stage, or the largest section, of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch the crewed Artemis III mission in 2027 from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility to the agency’s Pegasus barge in New Orleans on April 20. (NASA/Michael DeMocker)

Using highly specialized transporters, engineers maneuvered the top four-fifths of the SLS core stage, the section containing the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt, from inside NASA Michoud to the agency's Pegasus barge for delivery to NASA Kennedy. After arrival, teams will complete the stage outfitting and vertical integration, and the agency's Exploration Ground Systems Program will stack the rocket's components in preparation for launch.

"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 in Washington. "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."

At 212 feet tall, the completed core stage will consist of the top four fifths of the rocket combined with its engine section. The top four-fifths include the two propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super-chilled liquid propellant to fuel four RS-25 engines. During launch and flight, the fully integrated stage will operate for more than eight minutes, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust to propel astronauts inside NASA's Orion spacecraft into orbit.

posted 04-28-2026 09:57 AM               

Core Stage Arrives at Kennedy

The largest rocket section for the Artemis III mission arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday (April 27). The SLS (Space Launch System) core stage traveled 900 miles on the Pegasus barge from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where the stage was manufactured, to complete assembly at Kennedy.

The top four-fifths of the 212-foot-long core stage — the section containing the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt — was off-loaded from the barge and moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Tuesday. Inside, the stage will join the previously delivered boat-tail and engine section in the facility's High Bay 2 to complete the full core assembly.

Photo credit: Fred Karst (cS: GACspaceguy)