A SpaceX Falcon 9 soars into the sky from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 23, 2021, carrying the company’s Crew Dragon Endeavour. Onboard the capsule are NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot; ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist; and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission crew will dock to the Harmony module’s forward-facing international docking adapter of the International Space Station on Saturday, April 24, at 5:10 a.m.
Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems rehearse lifting operations using a mock-up of the Space Launch System (SLS) aft booster segment, referred to as a pathfinder, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 11, 2020, in preparation for Artemis I. The exercise involved preparing the aft pathfinder segment in High Bay 4 of the VAB and moving it over to High Bay 3, where it was placed on the mobile launcher. Stacking of the actual booster segments will occur later this year, before the SLS core stage arrives at Kennedy. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs integrate the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) atop the massive SLS core stage in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 5, 2021. The ICPS is a liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen-based system that will fire its RL 10 engine to give the Orion spacecraft the big in-space push needed to fly tens of thousands of miles beyond the Moon. The next component to be stacked on top of ICPS will be the Orion stage adapter, which will connect the ICPS with the spacecraft. Through Artemis, NASA will send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface, as well as establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon. As the first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs lift the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage – the largest part of the rocket – and prepare to move it over to High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be placed atop the mobile launcher in between the twin solid rocket boosters, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 11, 2021. The 188,000-pound core stage, with its four RS-25 engines, will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent, and coupled with the boosters, will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send the Artemis I mission to space. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, as well as establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface in preparation for human missions to Mars.
A heavy-lift crane lifts the first half of the E-level work platforms, E south, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, up from the floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The E platform will be installed on the south side of High Bay 3, about 246 feet above the floor. The E platforms are the sixth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s journey to Mars.
Crawler-transporter 2 is in view just outside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14, 2022. Soon the crawler will be driven inside to transport the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft stack atop the mobile launcher for a trip along the crawlerway to Launch Complex 39B for a wet dress rehearsal. The Kennedy ground systems team is working to remove equipment and scaffolding away from the rocket and will continue retracting the platforms until the entire rocket is revealed ahead of the wet dress rehearsal test, which is scheduled to occur approximately two weeks after it arrives to 39B. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars.
Artemis II NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander, tours Artemis II operations with Artemis team members inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
In this view looking up inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 10, 2022, the work platforms are being retracted from around the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft in preparation to roll out to launch pad 39B. The Kennedy ground systems team is working to remove equipment and scaffolding away from the rocket and will continue retracting the platforms until the entire rocket is revealed ahead of the wet dress rehearsal test, which is scheduled to occur approximately two weeks after it arrives at the pad.
A construction worker wearing a safety harness and tethered lines monitors the progress during the installation of the second half of the B-level work platforms, B north, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, high up in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The B platform will be installed on the north side of High Bay 3. The B platforms are the ninth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s Journey to Mars.
High up in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the final work platform, A north, for installation in High Bay 3. The platform will be installed and secured on its rail beam high up on the north wall of the high bay. The installation of the final topmost level completes the 10 levels of work platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, that will surround NASA's Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft and allow access during processing for missions, including the first uncrewed flight test of Orion atop the SLS rocket in 2018. The A-level platforms will provide access to the Orion spacecraft's Launch Abort System for Orion lifting sling removal and installation of the closeout panels. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, with support from the center's Engineering Directorate, is overseeing upgrades and modifications to the VAB, including installation of the new work platforms.
Workers use a crane to lower the right-hand forward assembly for NASA’s Space Launch System onto the right-hand center forward segment on the mobile launcher (ML) in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on March 2, 2021. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams are stacking the twin five-segment boosters on the ML over a number of weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the SLS. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs integrate the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) atop the massive SLS core stage in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 5, 2021. The ICPS is a liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen-based system that will fire its RL 10 engine to give the Orion spacecraft the big in-space push needed to fly tens of thousands of miles beyond the Moon. The next component to be stacked on top of ICPS will be the Orion stage adapter, which will connect the ICPS with the spacecraft. Through Artemis, NASA will send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface, as well as establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon. As the first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
A heavy load transport truck from Tillett Heavy Hauling in Titusville, Florida, arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the second half of the A-level work platforms, A north, for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This is the final platform delivered to Kennedy. The A-level platforms are the topmost platforms for High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The platform will be delivered to the VAB staging area in the west parking lot. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to High Bay 3 to support processing of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. A total of 10 levels of new platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, will surround the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and provide access for testing and processing.
A close-up view of the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 20, 2021. All 10 levels of work platforms have been retracted from around the rocket as part of an umbilical test. During the test, several umbilical arms on the mobile launcher were extended to connect to the SLS rocket. They swung away from the launch vehicle, just as they will on launch day. NASA and Jacobs teams will continue conducting tests inside the VAB before transporting the Orion spacecraft to the assembly building and stacking it atop the SLS, completing assembly of the rocket for the Artemis I mission. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later 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 on the way to Mars.
On Oct. 27, 2020, in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at the Florida spaceport perform one flight together before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the second of two Artemis I aft booster segments for the Space Launch System is being prepared for its move into High Bay 3 on Nov. 24, 2020. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams will stack the twin five-segment boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 over a number of weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The SLS is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
Computers, monitors, vacuum cleaners and other electronics have been donated by employees at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket begins its demonstration flight with liftoff at 3:45 p.m. EST from from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is a significant milestone for the world's premier multi-user spaceport. In 2014, NASA signed a property agreement with SpaceX for the use and operation of the center's pad 39A, where the company has launched Falcon 9 rockets and prepared for the first Falcon Heavy. NASA also has Space Act Agreements in place with partners, such as SpaceX, to provide services needed to process and launch rockets and spacecraft.
Seen here is a close-up view of the Orion stage adapter (OSA) structural test article atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 12, 2021. The test article, representing the mass and weight of the actual flight hardware, is being used for various tests inside the VAB ahead of OSA stacking operations. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface, as well as establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon.
Cliff Lanham, ground operations manager with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems, hands off the baton to Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis I launch director, inside the Vehicle Assembly building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 15, 2022. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the agency’s Orion spacecraft atop, is targeted to start its rollout to Launch Pad 39B on Aug. 16 at approximately 9 p.m., in preparation for the Artemis I launch – set for no earlier than Aug. 29. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
The vehicle for Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) fight test passes by the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its 21.5-mile-trek to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 22, 2019. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule away to demonstrate it can keep a future crew inside safe if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.
A scrub jay perches on a branch near the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2020. Painting of the NASA logo, also called the meatball, continues on the 525-foot-tall building. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, are repainting the meatball and the American Flag on the iconic building. The VAB was last painted in 2007, when repairs were completed after the 2004 Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne tore 845 panels off the building. It will take over 500 gallons of paint to paint the 209-by-110-foot flag and the 110-by-132-foot meatball. High Bay 3 inside the VAB has been upgraded with 10 new levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access for service and processing of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Exploration Ground Systems is overseeing upgrades to the VAB to support the launch of the SLS and Orion for Artemis missions. Under the Artemis program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon.
Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a cover, called a spider, is attached to the top of the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder on Oct. 4, 2019. With the spider secured in place, a crane will be attached to it to lift the pathfinder into the vertical position. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The upgraded 310-foot-long barge arrived, ferrying the SLS core stage pathfinder, a full-scale mock-up of the rocket's core stage. It will be used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy for approximately one month before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.
In this view looking down inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 10, 2022, the work platforms are being retracted from around the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft in preparation to roll out to launch pad 39B. The Kennedy ground systems team is working to remove equipment and scaffolding away from the rocket and will continue retracting the platforms until the entire rocket is revealed ahead of the wet dress rehearsal test, which is scheduled to occur approximately two weeks after it arrives at the pad.
A heavy load transport truck from Tillett Heavy Hauling in Titusville, Florida, arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the first half of the B-level work platforms, B south, for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The platform will be delivered to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) staging area in the west parking lot. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3 to support processing of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. A total of 10 levels of new platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, will surround the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and provide access for testing and processing.
Inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the right-hand forward segment onto the center forward segment on Feb. 23, 2021. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs are completing the stacking of the twin solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The SLS is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
In the Vehicle Assembly Building, markers show the hail damage being repaired on the external tank of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The white hole with a red circle around it is a hole prepared for molding and material application. The red material is sealant tape so the mold doesn't leak when the foam rises against the mold. The white/ translucent square mold is an area where the foam has been applied and the foam has risen and cured against the mold surface. The area will be de-molded and sanded flush with the adjacent area. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule atop, slowly makes its way along the crawlerway at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022/Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, NASA’s Moon rocket is venturing the 4.2 miles from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B ahead of the first flight test of the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, scheduled to liftoff on Monday, Aug. 29. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by launching Orion atop the SLS rocket, operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown. In later 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 on the way to Mars.
Members of the Sustainability team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida look over appliances donated for reuse or recycling in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more.
Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems rehearse lifting operations using a mock-up of the Space Launch System (SLS) aft booster segment, referred to as a pathfinder, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 11, 2020, in preparation for Artemis I. The exercise involved preparing the aft pathfinder segment in High Bay 4 of the VAB and moving it over to High Bay 3, where it was placed on the mobile launcher. Stacking of the actual booster segments will occur later this year, before the SLS core stage arrives at Kennedy. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
NASA Kennedy Space Center's Engineering Directorate coordinated a platform beam signing event to celebrate the culmination of the NASA and contractor team's last several years of study, design, construction and installation of 20 new work platforms in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly (VAB). Workers signed the final platform, A North, in the transfer aisle of the VAB. The platform will be lifted, installed and secured on its rail beam high up on the north wall of High Bay 3. The installation of the final topmost level completes the 10 levels of work platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, that will surround NASA's Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft and allow access during processing for missions, including the first uncrewed flight test of Orion atop the SLS rocket in 2018. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, with support from the center's Engineering Directorate, is overseeing upgrades and modifications to the VAB, including installation of the new work platforms.
High up in High Bay 3 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the first half of the B-level work platforms, B south, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, has been lowered into place. In view below are several levels of previously installed platforms. The B platforms are the ninth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s Journey to Mars.
NASA’s Artemis II hardware, the launch vehicle stage adapter, is inside High Bay 4 on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of rocket stacking operations. The cone shaped launch vehicle stage adapter connects the SLS (Space Launch System) Moon rocket to the upper stage, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, and protects the rocket’s flight computers, avionics, and electrical devices during launch and ascent during the Artemis missions.
NASA’s upgraded crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2) begins its trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Launch Pad 39B to test recently completed upgrades and modifications for NASA’s journey to Mars. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy oversaw upgrades to the crawler in the VAB. The crawler will carry the mobile launcher with Orion atop the Space Launch System rocket to Pad 39B for Exploration Mission-1, scheduled for 2018.
NASA astronauts Andre Douglas (far left), Artemis II backup crew member, and Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, pose for a photo during Artemis II tour operations inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs move the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, June 19, 2021. After being fueled and serviced inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF), the ICPS will be hoisted into place atop the SLS core stage while its Aerojet Rocketdyne-built RL-10 engine will be protected inside the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) on the mobile launcher in preparation for the launch of Artemis I. The ICPS will provide Orion spacecraft with the push needed for its flight around the Moon. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs lift the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage – the largest part of the rocket – and prepare to move it over to High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be placed atop the mobile launcher in between the twin solid rocket boosters, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 11, 2021. The 188,000-pound core stage, with its four RS-25 engines, will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent, and coupled with the boosters, will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send the Artemis I mission to space. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, as well as establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface in preparation for human missions to Mars.
Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and Jacobs TOSC workers monitor the progress as a cover, called the spider, is attached to the top of the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder on Oct. 4, 2019. With the spider secured in place, a crane will be attached to it to lift the pathfinder into the vertical position. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The upgraded 310-foot-long barge arrived, ferrying the SLS core stage pathfinder, a full-scale mock-up of the rocket's core stage. It will be used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy for approximately one month before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs integrate the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) atop the massive SLS core stage in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 5, 2021. The ICPS is a liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen-based system that will fire its RL 10 engine to give the Orion spacecraft the big in-space push needed to fly tens of thousands of miles beyond the Moon. The next component to be stacked on top of ICPS will be the Orion stage adapter, which will connect the ICPS with the spacecraft. Through Artemis, NASA will send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface, as well as establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon. As the first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
With all of the work platforms retracted, NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher are in view in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 3, 2022. The crawler-transporter, driven by engineers, will slide under the Artemis I stack atop the mobile launcher and carry it to Launch Complex 39B for a wet dress rehearsal test ahead of the Artemis I launch. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later 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 on the way to Mars.
Two manikins are installed in the passenger seats inside the Artemis I Orion crew module atop the Space Launch System rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2022. As part of the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE) investigation, the two female manikins – Helga and Zohar – are equipped with radiation detectors, while Zohar also wears a radiation protection vest, to determine the radiation risk on its way to the Moon. Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate NASA’s capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft’s integrated systems before crewed missions. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable lunar exploration.
The camera in the foreground is recording NASA engineer Krista Shaffer, left, and Rachel Power of NASA’s Digital Expansion to Engage the Public (DEEP) Network inside Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building during Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. Held in conjunction with National Engineers Week and Girl Day, the event allowed students from throughout the nation to speak with female NASA scientists and technical experts.
A certificate and quilt square are on display that confirms the transfer of a giant hand-made quilt in honor of space shuttle Columbia and her crew from the Office of Procurement to the Columbia Preservation Room inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The quilt was made by Katherine Walsh, a lifelong NASA and space program fan originally from Kentucky. The quilt will be displayed in the preservation room with its certificate as part of NASA's Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Program.
Engineers and technicians with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program transfer the right forward center segment to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The booster segment is shown attached to a lifting beam on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2025 ahead of integration onto the Mobile Launcher 1. The boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artems II Moon rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS (Space Launch System) thrust during liftoff from NASA Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B.
The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis I mission, fully assembled with its launch abort system, is lowered on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 20, 2021. The stacking of Orion on top of the SLS completes assembly for the Artemis I flight test. Teams will begin conducting a series of verification tests ahead of rolling out to Launch Complex 39B for the Wet Dress Rehearsal. Artemis I will be an uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable lunar exploration.
Members of the media get an up-close look at the integrated twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for Artemis II inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during Artemis Media Day on Friday, March 7, 2025. The twin solid boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artemis II Moon rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust during liftoff from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B.
In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the left-hand center booster segment for Artemis I is lowered onto the aft booster segment on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) on Jan. 7, 2021. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams will stack the twin five-segment boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 over a number of weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The SLS is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
A heavy-lift crane lifts the first half of the B-level work platforms, B south, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, high up from the transfer aisle floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The B platform will be installed on the south side of High Bay 3. The B platforms are the ninth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s Journey to Mars.
Phil Moyer, original project lead for the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), tours the Vehicle Assembly Building on Nov. 22, 2019 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The VAB was recognized with the National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark award by the Florida Section American Society of Civil Engineers during a ceremony on Jan. 10, 2020. The VAB is the first building at Kennedy Space Center to earn this distinction. At the time of its completion, the 129-million-cubic-foot structure was the largest building in the world. Originally designed and built to accommodate the Saturn V/Apollo used in Project Apollo, the VAB was later modified for its role in the Space Shuttle Program.
Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, construction workers assist with the installation of the first half of the C-level work platforms, C south, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The large bolts that hold the platform in place on the south wall are being secured. The C platforms are the eighth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s Journey to Mars.
Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a construction worker watches as the first half of the B-level work platforms, B south, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is lowered into place in High Bay 3. Construction workers will secure the large bolts that hold the platform in place on the south wall. The B platforms are the ninth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s Journey to Mars.
A heavy load transport truck from Tillett Heavy Hauling in Titusville, Florida, arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the second half of the B-level work platforms, B north, for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The platform will be delivered to the VAB staging area in the west parking lot. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3 to support processing of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. A total of 10 levels of new platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, will surround the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and provide access for testing and processing.
In view high up in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is the Artemis I Orion spacecraft enclosed in its launch abort system atop the Space Launch System on Jan 10, 2022. A work platform has been extended around Orion. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy. In later 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 on the way to Mars.
Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems rehearse lifting operations using a mock-up of the Space Launch System (SLS) aft booster segment, referred to as a pathfinder, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 11, 2020, in preparation for Artemis I. The exercise involved preparing the aft pathfinder segment in High Bay 4 of the VAB and moving it over to High Bay 3, where it was placed on the mobile launcher. Stacking of the actual booster segments will occur later this year, before the SLS core stage arrives at Kennedy. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Family members of the original Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) architect tour the iconic facility on Nov. 22, 2019 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Among the visitors are Dick Bergmann, far right, original lead designer for the VAB. In view, far left, is Kelvin Manning, Kennedy’s associate director, technical. The Florida Section American Society of Civil Engineers bestowed its National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark award to the facility. The VAB is the first building at Kennedy Space Center to earn this distinction. At the time of its completion, the 129-million-cubic-foot structure was the largest building in the world. Originally designed and built to accommodate the Saturn V/Apollo used in Project Apollo, the VAB was later modified for its role in the Space Shuttle Program.
In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the second of two Artemis I aft booster segments for the Space Launch System is lowered by crane into High Bay 3 on Nov. 24, 2020. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams will stack the twin five-segment boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 over a number of weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The SLS is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
A heavy load transport truck from Tillett Heavy Hauling in Titusville, Florida, arrives in a staging area near the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the second half of the A-level work platforms, A north, for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This is the final platform delivered to Kennedy. The A-level platforms are the topmost platforms for High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The platform will be delivered to the VAB staging area in the west parking lot. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to High Bay 3 to support processing of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. A total of 10 levels of new platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, will surround the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and provide access for testing and processing.
A close-up view of an American flag and a small tree on the final work platform, A north, as the platform is lifted up by crane from the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The platform will be installed and secured on its rail beam high up on the north wall of High Bay 3. The installation of the final topmost level completes the 10 levels of work platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, that will surround NASA's Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft and allow access during processing for missions, including the first uncrewed flight test of Orion atop the SLS rocket in 2018. The A-level platforms will provide access to the Orion spacecraft's Launch Abort System for Orion lifting sling removal and installation of the closeout panels. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, with support from the center's Engineering Directorate, is overseeing upgrades and modifications to the VAB, including installation of the new work platforms.
In this view from above, a heavy-lift crane lowers the first half of the D-level work platforms, D south, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, into High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The D platform will be installed on the south side of the high bay. The D platforms are the seventh of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s journey to Mars.
From left to right, Jim Keys, Pilot; Christina Korp, Assistant to Charlie Duke; Nicole Stott, NASA Astronaut (former); Dottie Duke, wife of Charlie Duke, Charlie Duke, NASA Astronaut (former); and Lili Villareal, Operations Flow Manager, Exploration Ground Systems tour the inside of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) during a visit to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 10, 2021. Visible in the background are the aft booster segments for the Space Launch System. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test Orion and SLS as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
The Space Launch System (SLS) core stage is seen in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 4, 2021. Teams with the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs are preparing to lift the 188,000-pound core stage and place it on the mobile launcher in between the two solid rocket boosters in High Bay 3 of the VAB. The core stage alone will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust at launch, and coupled with the boosters, will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to launch the Artemis I mission. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, right-hand and left-hand forward segments are secured on top of the center forward segments on the mobile launcher (ML) for the Space Launch System (SLS) on March 3, 2021. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams completed the stacking of the boosters over several weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the ML, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the SLS. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
A photographer captures NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, and Andre Douglas, Artemis II backup crew member, standing underneath mobile launcher 1 with the integrated the twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for Artemis II inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
Painting of the NASA logo, also called the meatball, continues on the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, are repainting the meatball and the American Flag on the iconic building. The VAB was last painted in 2007, when repairs were completed after the 2004 Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne tore 845 panels off the building. It will take over 500 gallons of paint to paint the 209-by-110-foot flag and the 110-by-132-foot meatball. Exploration Ground Systems is overseeing upgrades to the VAB to support the launch of the SLS and Orion for Artemis missions. Under the Artemis program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon.
On platforms suspended from the top of the 525-foot-high VAB, workers use rollers and brushes to repaint the NASA logo on the southeast side of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Known as the "meatball," the logo measures 110 feet by 132 feet, or about 12,300 square feet. The U.S. flag is also being repainted. The flag spans an area 209 feet by 110 feet, or about 23, 437 square feet. Each stripe is 9 feet wide and each star is 6 feet in diameter. The flag and logo were last painted in 1998, honoring NASA's 40th anniversary.
In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the second of two Artemis I aft booster segments for the Space Launch System is lifted high in the transfer aisle for its move into High Bay 3 on Nov. 24, 2020. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams will stack the twin five-segment boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 over a number of weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The SLS is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
From left to right, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier, NASA Associate Administrator for STEM Engagement Mike Kincade, Elizabeth Kline, Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) element operations manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems, and Kelvin Manning, associate director, technical, of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, visit the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 10, 2019. Droegemeier visited the iconic rocket-assembly facility in the heart of Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 Area during a tour of the multi-user spaceport.
Engineers with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems complete stacking operations on the twin SLS (Space Launch System) solid rocket boosters for Artemis II by integrating the nose cones atop the forward assemblies inside the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. During three months of stacking operations, technicians used a massive overhead crane to lift 10 booster segments – five segments per booster – and aerodynamic nose cones into place on mobile launcher 1. The twin solid boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artemis II Moon rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust during liftoff from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs lift the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage – the largest part of the rocket – and prepare to move it over to High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be placed atop the mobile launcher in between the twin solid rocket boosters, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 10, 2021. The 188,000-pound core stage, with its four RS-25 engines, will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent, and coupled with the boosters, will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send the Artemis I mission to space. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, as well as establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface in preparation for human missions to Mars.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs rotate the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage – the largest part of the rocket – into a vertical position in preparation for its move to High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be placed atop the mobile launcher in between the twin solid rocket boosters, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 11, 2021. The 188,000-pound core stage, with its four RS-25 engines, will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent, and coupled with the boosters, will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send the Artemis I mission to space. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, as well as establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface in preparation for human missions to Mars.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, far right, accompanies Russell Vought, second from right, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, far left, on a tour of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Aug. 28, 2020. The VAB is critical to the assembly of the Space Launch System rocket for NASA’s Artemis program. The Office of Management and Budget is working with the U.S. Congress to line up the necessary resources to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.
During a training exercise, technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems lower a mock-up of the Space Launch System (SLS) aft booster segment, referred to as a pathfinder, onto the mobile launcher in Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Sept. 11, 2020. The rehearsal involved teams preparing the aft pathfinder segment in High Bay 4 of the VAB, lifting and moving it over to High Bay 3, and placing it on the mobile launcher in preparation for Artemis I. Stacking of the actual booster segments will occur later this year, before the SLS core stage arrives at the Florida spaceport. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
In a view looking up inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the second of two Artemis I aft booster segments for the Space Launch System is lowered by crane into High Bay 3 on Nov. 24, 2020. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams will stack the twin five-segment boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 over a number of weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The SLS is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.
The Artemis I Orion spacecraft, secured on the Space Launch System (SLS) and enclosed in its launch abort system, is in view high up in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 10, 2022. Work platforms are extended around Orion and scaffolding has been secured to allow access for inspection and processing work. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy. In later 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 on the way to Mars.
A heavy-lift crane lifts the first half of the B-level work platforms, B south, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, high up from the transfer aisle floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The B platform will be installed on the south side of High Bay 3. The B platforms are the ninth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s Journey to Mars.
During a training exercise, technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems lower a mock-up of the Space Launch System (SLS) aft booster segment, referred to as a pathfinder, onto the mobile launcher in Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Sept. 11, 2020. The rehearsal involved teams preparing the aft pathfinder segment in High Bay 4 of the VAB, lifting and moving it over to High Bay 3, and placing it on the mobile launcher in preparation for Artemis I. Stacking of the actual booster segments will occur later this year, before the SLS core stage arrives at the Florida spaceport. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Engineers and technicians with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program transfer the right forward center segment to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The booster segment is shown attached to a lifting beam on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2025 ahead of integration onto the Mobile Launcher 1. The boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artems II Moon rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS (Space Launch System) thrust during liftoff from NASA Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B.
Painting of the NASA logo, also called the meatball, continues on the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 23, 2020. HM2 and H.I.S. Painting of Titusville, Florida, are repainting the meatball and the American Flag on the iconic building. The VAB was last painted in 2007 when the repairs were completed after 2004 Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne tore 845 panels off the building. It will take over 500 gallons of paint to paint the 209 X 110-foot flag and the 110’ X 132’ meatball.
The crawler-transporter, driven by engineers, approaches the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 1, 2022. The crawler will go inside the VAB, where it will slide under the Artemis I Space Launch System with the Orion spacecraft atop on the mobile launcher and carry it to Launch Complex 39B for a wet dress rehearsal test ahead of the Artemis I launch. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later 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 on the way to Mars.
High up in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the second half of the B-level work platforms, B north, for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, for installation in High Bay 3. The B platform will be installed on the north side of high bay. In view below are several levels of previously installed platforms. The B platforms are the ninth of 10 levels of work platforms that will surround and provide access to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3, including installation of the new work platforms, to prepare for NASA’s Journey to Mars.
In the parking lot of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, employees turn in used household material for recycling as part of America Recycles Day (ARD). The annual event is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. This year, KSC is partnered with Goodwill Industries and several other local organizations to receive donation material from employees such as gently used household items, personal electronic waste, greeting cards and serviceable eyeglasses.
An engineer with contractor Jacobs prepares for a modal tap test on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis I in a room under the zero deck of the mobile launcher inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 16, 2021. The Exploration Ground systems and Jacobs team, along with the SLS team from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are performing the tests with support from personnel at other NASA centers. Engineers are using the mass simulator for Orion and the Orion stage adapter structural test article for the modal test. The tests will determine the different modes of vibration with the recently stacked and integrated SLS rocket before launch of the Artemis I mission. Artemis I will be an uncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable lunar exploration.
NASA engineer Krista Shaffer, left, speaks to Rachel Power of NASA’s Digital Expansion to Engage the Public (DEEP) Network inside Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building during Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. Held in conjunction with National Engineers Week and Girl Day, the event allowed students from throughout the nation to speak with female NASA scientists and technical experts.
From left, NASA astronauts Andre Douglas, Artemis II backup crew member and Artemis II astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander, practice climbing into an emergency egress basket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. The baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, are used in the case of a pad abort emergency to enable astronauts and other pad personnel a way to quickly escape away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad and where waiting emergency transport vehicles will then drive them away. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
The 212-foot-long Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage pathfinder is inside the low bay of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 1, 2019. NASA's Pegasus Barge arrived at the Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 30, 2019, making its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The upgraded 310-foot-long barge arrived Sept. 27, 2019, ferrying the SLS core stage pathfinder, a full-scale mock-up of the rocket's core stage. The pathfinder will be used by the Exploration Ground Systems Program and their contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy for approximately one month before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.
The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis I mission, fully assembled with its launch abort system, was lifted up and placed on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 20, 2021. The stacking of Orion on top of the SLS completes assembly for the Artemis I flight test. Teams will begin conducting a series of verification tests ahead of rolling out to Launch Complex 39B for the Wet Dress Rehearsal. Artemis I will be an uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable lunar exploration.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana points to a display during a tour for cast and crew members of the upcoming motion picture "Hidden Figures." The group is walking thought the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The movie is based on the book of the same title, by Margot Lee Shetterly. It chronicles the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three African-American women who worked for NASA as human "computers.” Their mathematical calculations were crucial to the success of Project Mercury missions including John Glenn’s orbital flight aboard Friendship 7 in 1962. The film is due in theaters in January 2017.
In this view looking up inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the work platforms have been retracted from around the Artemis I Space Launch System on Sept. 20, 2021. All 10 levels of platforms were extended and retracted as part of an umbilical test. During the test, several umbilical arms on the mobile launcher were extended to connect to the SLS rocket. They swung away from the launch vehicle, just as they will on launch day. NASA and Jacobs teams will continue conducting tests inside the VAB before transporting the Orion spacecraft to the assembly building and stacking it atop the SLS, completing assembly of the rocket for the Artemis I mission. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later 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 on the way to Mars.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket begins its demonstration flight with liftoff at 3:45 p.m. EST from from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is a significant milestone for the world's premier multi-user spaceport. In 2014, NASA signed a property agreement with SpaceX for the use and operation of the center's pad 39A, where the company has launched Falcon 9 rockets and prepared for the first Falcon Heavy. NASA also has Space Act Agreements in place with partners, such as SpaceX, to provide services needed to process and launch rockets and spacecraft.
A giant hand-made quilt in honor of space shuttle Columbia and her crew was turned over to the Columbia Preservation Room inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The quilt was made by Katherine Walsh, a lifelong NASA and space program fan originally from Kentucky. From left, behind the quilt are Janet Phillips, property custodian in Kennedy's Office of Procurement; Mike Ciannilli, Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Program manager; and Kevin Panik, customer advocate in Spaceport Integration.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule atop, slowly makes its way down the crawlerway at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17, 2022. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, NASA’s Moon rocket is venturing from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Preparations are underway to move the Space Launch System Core Stage pathfinder to the north end of the transfer aisle inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 3, 2019. A cover, called a spider, in view in the foreground, will be attached to the top of the pathfinder. With the spider secured in place, a crane will be attached to it to lift the pathfinder into the vertical position. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived in NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The upgraded 310-foot-long barge arrived, ferrying the SLS core stage pathfinder, a full-scale mock-up of the rocket's core stage. It will be used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy for approximately one month before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.
Kelvin Manning, left, associate director, technical, of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier, right, visit the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 10, 2019. Droegemeier visited the iconic rocket-assembly facility in the heart of Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 Area during a tour of the multi-user spaceport.
Artemis I Orion Lift and Mate - Fully Stacked
From left, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander; CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist; Andre Douglas, NASA’s Artemis II backup crew member; NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist; and NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, participate in emergency egress training with teams from the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 5, 2025. Artemis II will take four astronauts around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
Workers prepare to unload the second half of the A-level work platforms, A north, for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, from a heavy load transport truck near the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the final platform delivered to Kennedy. The platform will be offloaded in a staging area near the VAB. The A-level platforms are the topmost platforms for High Bay 3 in the VAB. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to High Bay 3 to support processing of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. A total of 10 levels of new platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, will surround the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and provide access for testing and processing.
Orion Program Manager Cathy Koerner, left, and Space Launch System (SLS) Program Manager John Honeycutt tour the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) during a visit to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 23, 2021. Seen in the background is the SLS core stage in between the twin solid rocket boosters for Artemis I. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, as well as establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon.
The core stage inter-tank umbilical – one of multiple connections on the mobile launcher that will provide power, communications, and pressurized gases to the rocket – is attached to the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 12, 2021. Before the Orion spacecraft can be stacked atop the SLS, teams are conducting various tests to ensure the rocket can properly communicate with the ground systems equipment that will be used for launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface, as well as establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs lower the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage – the largest part of the rocket – onto the mobile launcher, in between the twin solid rocket boosters, inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 12, 2021. The 188,000-pound core stage, with its four RS-25 engines, will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent, and coupled with the boosters, will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send the Artemis I mission to space. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, as well as establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface in preparation for human missions to Mars.
A heavy load transport truck from Tillett Heavy Hauling in Titusville, Florida, arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the second half of the B-level work platforms, B north, for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The platform will be offloaded in the VAB staging area in the west parking lot. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3 to support processing of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. A total of 10 levels of new platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, will surround the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and provide access for testing and processing.