Full steam ahead: NASA begins stacking SLS rocket for Artemis III

NASA is accelerating preparations for the Artemis III mission, with key hardware arriving at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and rocket stacking now underway.

According to a July 13 NASA update, the bottom segments of both SLS solid rocket boosters (SRBs) have been delivered to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and mounted on the mobile launch platform. The upper SRB segments arrived via train in June and are undergoing inspection before the twin boosters are fully stacked.

The SLS core stage was delivered at the end of April and connected with the engine block section in May. Two of the four RS-25 engines arrived in June and will be installed once the remaining two are delivered, after which NASA plans to begin integration with the mobile launch platform and launch operations tests. A temporary weather cap was also delivered in June to protect the stage during transport to the launch pad for pre-launch testing.

Inside KSC's Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, engineers have completed installation of the Orion spacecraft's heat shield for Artemis III. This will be the first Orion mission to use an upgraded heat shield, featuring design improvements informed by analysis of unexpected wear on the heat shield flown during Artemis I. Orion's service module is also inside the building and recently completed acoustic testing. Both the service module and crew capsule are being prepared for mating and eventual transport to the VAB for stacking.

On the personnel side, the Artemis III launch team at KSC has begun monthly simulation exercises to refine procedures for SLS propellant loading, terminal countdown operations, and launch day procedures. These simulations will continue regularly leading up to next year's launch.

Artemis III is targeted for mid-to-late 2027, launching four astronauts into low Earth orbit aboard Orion for rendezvous and docking operations with two commercial lunar landers: SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon. While the mission will not fly directly to the moon, it is considered a critical stepping stone in NASA's plan to establish a permanent human presence on the lunar surface.

Meanwhile, preparations for Artemis IV are already underway. That mission, scheduled for late 2028, will deliver astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. The liquid oxygen tank for the Artemis IV SLS core stage has been relocated within NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, entering its next phase of production.

Further reading Original article: Space.com - 'Full steam ahead': NASA ramps up prep for Artemis III astronaut launch in 2027