NASA’s epic Space Launch System rocket, towering at 322 feet when fully assembled, has embarked on a remarkable journey, traversing from New Orleans to Florida via barge. After a journey spanning over two weeks and covering more than 900 miles, the rocket has safely arrived at the Kennedy Space Center. The core stage, meticulously manufactured and assembled at the Michoud Assembly Facility, had to embark on this voyage to reach Kennedy for integration and testing prior to the Artemis II test flight. This mission will see the rocket carry astronauts on a 10-day expedition around the moon and back, with NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, making up the crew. “With Artemis, we’ve set our sights on doing something big and incredibly complex that will inspire a new generation, advance our scientific endeavors, and move U.S. competitiveness forward,” stated Catherine Koerner, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, during the core stage’s journey. “The SLS rocket is a key component of our efforts to develop a long-term presence at the Moon.” However, before the launch can take place, a substantial amount of work remains to prepare the core stage for flight. Currently situated in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy, it will be carefully placed onto the mobile launcher — the platform that connects it to the ground systems — and integrated with the Orion spacecraft that will house the crew. Furthermore, the core stage will require the addition of its twin solid rocket boosters and launch vehicle stage adapter. Once this integration is complete, the entire assembly will undergo rigorous testing to ensure it is fully prepared for its flight. Artemis II is currently scheduled for launch in September of next year, following the Artemis I mission, which successfully saw an uncrewed version of the SLS and Orion capsule complete a journey around the moon and return to Earth in November 2022. While the Artemis I mission achieved success, some components experienced damage during the launch, prompting a delay in the first crewed mission to allow for more time dedicated to development and integration. The long-term plan is to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years with the Artemis III mission, tentatively scheduled for September 2026.
NASA’s SLS Rocket Arrives at Kennedy Space Center for Artemis II Mission
