NASA Artemis II Milestone: All Major Structures of Moon Rocket Core Stage Connected

NASA SLS Block 1 Rocket in Flight

In the Artemis II mission, four astronauts will embark on a lunar journey to assess NASA’s core human deep space exploration capabilities, including the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, for the first time with a crew on board. Credit: NASA

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have fully integrated all five major structures of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and return them home. Technicians joined the engine section to the rest of the rocket stage March 17. Next, teams will integrate the four RS-25 engines to the engine section to complete the stage.

Artemis II SLS Rocket Core Stage

NASA teams at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have successfully integrated all five key structures of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage for Artemis II. This first crewed Artemis mission will carry four astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth. On March 17, technicians connected the engine section to the remaining rocket stage. The next step involves integrating the four RS-25 engines to complete the stage. Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Located at the bottom of the 212-foot-tall core stage, the engine section is the most complex and intricate part of the rocket stage, helping to power Artemis missions to the Moon. In addition to its miles of cabling and hundreds of sensors, the engine section is a crucial attachment point for the RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters that produce a combined 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. It houses the engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling, and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the engines.

SLS Core Stage Infographic

We need the biggest rocket stage ever built for the bold missions in deep space that NASA’s Space Launch System rocket will give us the capability to achieve. This infographic sums up everything you need to know about the SLS core stage, the 212-foot-tall stage that serves as the backbone of the most powerful rocket in the world. The core stage includes the liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank that hold 733,000 gallons of propellant to power the stage’s four RS-25 engines needed for liftoff and the journey to Mars. Credit: NASA/MSFC

The core stage for Artemis II is built, outfitted, and assembled at Michoud. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone for astronauts on the way to Mars.

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