Preparations for NASA’s forthcoming lunar endeavor are advancing steadily as the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, crucial for the Artemis 2 mission, was recently integrated with its boosters. This significant milestone in the Artemis program, designed to send astronauts around the moon, occurred at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida.
NASA Assembles Artemis 2 Moon Rocket
The assembly of NASA’s next-generation moon rocket is progressing methodically. Integration of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage with the rocket’s side boosters was recently finalized at the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida. This SLS rocket will power the Artemis 2 mission, which is scheduled to transport four astronauts in an Orion spacecraft on a lunar flyby mission next year.
Core Stage Integration Completed
“Technicians successfully mated the core stage with the stacked solid rocket boosters on March 23 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC),” agency representatives stated on Monday, March 24. The solid rocket boosters are critical for propelling the 322-foot (98-meter) SLS vehicle through the initial phase of its launch. Each booster measures 177 feet (54 meters) in height and collectively generates over three-quarters of the SLS’s total thrust at liftoff.
Relocation and Mating Procedure
Utilizing one of the VAB’s powerful overhead cranes, technicians carefully moved the 212-foot (65-meter) SLS core stage from its temporary location in High Bay 2 to the “transfer aisle” earlier in March. On Sunday, March 23, the stage was rotated and repositioned to High Bay 3 within the facility. There, it was connected with its solid rocket boosters, already situated atop the mobile launcher.
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Further Artemis 2 Mission Component Assembly
Concurrent progress is being made on other elements of the Artemis 2 SLS rocket. Recent weeks have seen the assembly of solar panels and spacecraft adapter jettison fairings for the mission’s Orion capsule and the European-built service module. These components are slated to be integrated with the complete SLS stack in the VAB in the coming months, positioned on top of the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage.
Artemis Program and Mission Objectives
Artemis 2 is the second mission within NASA’s broader Artemis Program, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the moon. The inaugural mission, Artemis 1, successfully launched an uncrewed Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit and back in November 2022. Artemis 2 marks the first crewed flight of the program and will carry astronauts around the moon, representing the first human lunar orbit since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
Artemis 2 Core Stage is lifted into High Bay 3 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, March 23, 2025.
Artemis 2 Astronaut Crew
The Artemis 2 lunar mission crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, serving as commander; Victor Glover, piloting the mission; and Christina Koch, as mission specialist. Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and mission specialist, will also join the crew. While NASA has yet to announce the Artemis 3 crew, it has long designated this mission to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon’s surface. Astronauts Koch and Glover fit these descriptions, respectively. However, the phrasing “first woman” and “first person of color” has been recently removed from NASA’s Artemis websites amid a broader government shift regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives.
Revised Mission Timeline
Currently, NASA is targeting Spring 2026 for the Artemis 2 launch, with Artemis 3 following in 2027. These missions were initially scheduled for 2025 and 2026, respectively, but a delay of over a year for both missions was necessitated by unexpected damage to Orion’s heat shield during the Artemis 1 mission.