The Gateway space station hosts the Orion spacecraft in a polar orbit around the Moon, supporting scientific discovery on the lunar surface during the Artemis IV mission.

The Gateway space station hosts the Orion spacecraft in a polar orbit around the Moon, supporting scientific discovery on the lunar surface during the Artemis IV mission.

The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s crewed Artemis II (right), Artemis III (left), and Artemis IV (center) missions are stationed next to each other inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. Each capsule is in a different stage of production as technicians and engineers prepare the spacecraft to carry astronauts to and around the Moon on their upcoming flights.

The Artemis IV Orion crew module in work inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 5, 2025.

The transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis IV mission arrives at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. The European Service Module, which is assembled by Airbus in Bremen, Germany, from parts made in 10 European countries and the United States, acts as the driving force behind Orion for deep space exploration, providing essential propulsion, thermal control, and electrical power.

The transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis IV mission arrives at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. The European Service Module, which is assembled by Airbus in Bremen, Germany, from parts made in 10 European countries and the United States, acts as the driving force behind Orion for deep space exploration, providing essential propulsion, thermal control, and electrical power.

The transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis IV mission arrives at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. The European Service Module, which is assembled by Airbus in Bremen, Germany, from parts made in 10 European countries and the United States, acts as the driving force behind Orion for deep space exploration, providing essential propulsion, thermal control, and electrical power.

Technicians lift the engine section for NASA’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) rocket ahead of further processing inside the high bay of the Space Systems Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. The engine section is one of five major elements that makes up the SLS rocket’s 212-foot-tall core stage, which house the rocket’s four RS-25 engines and vital systems for mounting, controlling, and delivering fuel from the stage’s two massive liquid propellant tanks to the engines.

Technicians lift the engine section for NASA’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) rocket ahead of further processing inside the high bay of the Space Systems Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. The engine section is one of five major elements that makes up the SLS rocket’s 212-foot-tall core stage, which house the rocket’s four RS-25 engines and vital systems for mounting, controlling, and delivering fuel from the stage’s two massive liquid propellant tanks to the engines.

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility prepare to move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV to the Vertical Assembly Building for the next step in production. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Photographed on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility prepare to move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV to the Vertical Assembly Building for the next step in production. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Photographed on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility prepare to move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV to the Vertical Assembly Building for the next step in production. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Photographed on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Seen here is the pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 21, 2023. The pressure vessel is the underlying structure of the Orion crew module, containing the pressurized atmosphere astronauts will breathe and work in while in the vacuum of deep space. Artemis IV will be the first operational mission to Gateway – an outpost in lunar orbit serving as a staging point for deep space exploration – followed by a week-long surface mission on the Moon. Using Gateway, NASA will develop a long-term presence on the Moon, using this as a steppingstone before venturing on to Mars.

Seen here is the pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 21, 2023. The pressure vessel is the underlying structure of the Orion crew module, containing the pressurized atmosphere astronauts will breathe and work in while in the vacuum of deep space. Artemis IV will be the first operational mission to Gateway – an outpost in lunar orbit serving as a staging point for deep space exploration – followed by a week-long surface mission on the Moon. Using Gateway, NASA will develop a long-term presence on the Moon, using this as a steppingstone before venturing on to Mars.

NASA’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) core stage engine section which houses the four RS-25 engines, arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. NASA’s Pegasus barge delivered the core stage engine section, along with other hardware for future Artemis campaigns, from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

NASA’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) core stage engine section which houses the four RS-25 engines, arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. NASA’s Pegasus barge delivered the core stage engine section, along with other hardware for future Artemis campaigns, from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

NASA’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) core stage engine section which houses the four RS-25 engines, arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. NASA’s Pegasus barge delivered the core stage engine section, along with other hardware for future Artemis campaigns, from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV out of Cell G after weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the aft dome for the liquid oxygen tank into the Vertical Assembly Center on May 11. The flight hardware will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage for the Artemis IV mission. The aft dome is the final piece to complete the liquid oxygen tank structure. Inside the vertical assembly center – one of the largest friction-stir weld tools in the world – NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, will perform a circumferential weld to join the dome to the previously welded forward dome and two barrel structures to form the full liquid oxygen tank structure. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the aft dome for the liquid oxygen tank into the Vertical Assembly Center on May 11. The flight hardware will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage for the Artemis IV mission. The aft dome is the final piece to complete the liquid oxygen tank structure. Inside the vertical assembly center – one of the largest friction-stir weld tools in the world – NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, will perform a circumferential weld to join the dome to the previously welded forward dome and two barrel structures to form the full liquid oxygen tank structure. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the aft dome for the liquid oxygen tank into the Vertical Assembly Center on May 11. The flight hardware will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage for the Artemis IV mission. The aft dome is the final piece to complete the liquid oxygen tank structure. Inside the vertical assembly center – one of the largest friction-stir weld tools in the world – NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, will perform a circumferential weld to join the dome to the previously welded forward dome and two barrel structures to form the full liquid oxygen tank structure. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 21.8-foot-tall intertank for the core stage of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket into one of the factory’s high bay production cells May 29. The flight hardware will help power NASA’s Artemis IV mission. Inside the production cell, NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor will apply the hardware’s outer thermal protection layer through an automated process. The thermal protection system safeguards the rocket from the extreme temperatures and prevents the super-cooled propellant within the rocket’s massive propellant tanks from boiling off too rapidly during launch and flight. The intertank houses avionics and electronics, serves as an attachment point for the solid rocket boosters, and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 21.8-foot-tall intertank for the core stage of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket into one of the factory’s high bay production cells May 29. The flight hardware will help power NASA’s Artemis IV mission. Inside the production cell, NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor will apply the hardware’s outer thermal protection layer through an automated process. The thermal protection system safeguards the rocket from the extreme temperatures and prevents the super-cooled propellant within the rocket’s massive propellant tanks from boiling off too rapidly during launch and flight. The intertank houses avionics and electronics, serves as an attachment point for the solid rocket boosters, and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 21.8-foot-tall intertank for the core stage of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket into one of the factory’s high bay production cells May 29. The flight hardware will help power NASA’s Artemis IV mission. Inside the production cell, NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor will apply the hardware’s outer thermal protection layer through an automated process. The thermal protection system safeguards the rocket from the extreme temperatures and prevents the super-cooled propellant within the rocket’s massive propellant tanks from boiling off too rapidly during launch and flight. The intertank houses avionics and electronics, serves as an attachment point for the solid rocket boosters, and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 21.8-foot-tall intertank for the core stage of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket into one of the factory’s high bay production cells May 29. The flight hardware will help power NASA’s Artemis IV mission. Inside the production cell, NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor will apply the hardware’s outer thermal protection layer through an automated process. The thermal protection system safeguards the rocket from the extreme temperatures and prevents the super-cooled propellant within the rocket’s massive propellant tanks from boiling off too rapidly during launch and flight. The intertank houses avionics and electronics, serves as an attachment point for the solid rocket boosters, and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 21.8-foot-tall intertank for the core stage of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket into one of the factory’s high bay production cells May 29. The flight hardware will help power NASA’s Artemis IV mission. Inside the production cell, NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor will apply the hardware’s outer thermal protection layer through an automated process. The thermal protection system safeguards the rocket from the extreme temperatures and prevents the super-cooled propellant within the rocket’s massive propellant tanks from boiling off too rapidly during launch and flight. The intertank houses avionics and electronics, serves as an attachment point for the solid rocket boosters, and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the aft dome for the liquid oxygen tank into the Vertical Assembly Center on May 11. The flight hardware will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage for the Artemis IV mission. The aft dome is the final piece to complete the liquid oxygen tank structure. Inside the vertical assembly center – one of the largest friction-stir weld tools in the world – NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, will perform a circumferential weld to join the dome to the previously welded forward dome and two barrel structures to form the full liquid oxygen tank structure. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the aft dome for the liquid oxygen tank into the Vertical Assembly Center on May 11. The flight hardware will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage for the Artemis IV mission. The aft dome is the final piece to complete the liquid oxygen tank structure. Inside the vertical assembly center – one of the largest friction-stir weld tools in the world – NASA and Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, will perform a circumferential weld to join the dome to the previously welded forward dome and two barrel structures to form the full liquid oxygen tank structure. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.    Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

A photographer captures the Artemis IV European Service Module on Friday, July 31, 2026, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There are currently several pieces of hardware from Artemis III, IV, and V undergoing processing at the same time inside the facility. Artemis IV will be one of the most complex undertakings of engineering and human ingenuity in the history of deep space exploration, exploring the lunar South Pole region. The astronauts’ observations, samples, and data collected will expand our understanding of our solar system and home planet, while inspiring the Artemis Generation.

A photographer captures the Artemis IV Orion crew module on Friday, July 31, 2026, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There are currently several pieces of hardware from Artemis III, IV, and V undergoing processing at the same time inside the facility. Artemis IV will be one of the most complex undertakings of engineering and human ingenuity in the history of deep space exploration, exploring the lunar South Pole region. The astronauts’ observations, samples, and data collected will expand our understanding of our solar system and home planet, while inspiring the Artemis Generation.

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of a production cell and into the main aisle of the vertical assembly building on June 9. The team rotates the tank from a vertical to a horizontal configuration in an operation called a “breakover,” and sets the tank into a pair of cradles until it is moved to its next phase of production. This liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon, and it will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen at launch. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of a production cell and into the main aisle of the vertical assembly building on June 9. The team rotates the tank from a vertical to a horizontal configuration in an operation called a “breakover,” and sets the tank into a pair of cradles until it is moved to its next phase of production. This liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon, and it will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen at launch. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of a production cell and into the main aisle of the vertical assembly building on June 9. The team rotates the tank from a vertical to a horizontal configuration in an operation called a “breakover,” and sets the tank into a pair of cradles until it is moved to its next phase of production. This liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon, and it will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen at launch. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of a production cell and into the main aisle of the vertical assembly building on June 9. The team rotates the tank from a vertical to a horizontal configuration in an operation called a “breakover,” and sets the tank into a pair of cradles until it is moved to its next phase of production. This liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon, and it will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen at launch. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of a production cell and into the main aisle of the vertical assembly building on June 9. The team rotates the tank from a vertical to a horizontal configuration in an operation called a “breakover,” and sets the tank into a pair of cradles until it is moved to its next phase of production. This liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon, and it will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen at launch. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of a production cell and into the main aisle of the vertical assembly building on June 9. The team rotates the tank from a vertical to a horizontal configuration in an operation called a “breakover,” and sets the tank into a pair of cradles until it is moved to its next phase of production. This liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon, and it will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen at launch. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly center on May 26. The liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. It will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen; and next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly center on May 26. The liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. It will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen; and next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly center on May 26. The liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. It will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen; and next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly center on May 26. The liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. It will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen; and next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use an overhead crane to lift a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly center on May 26. The liquid oxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. It will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen; and next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans transport the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank from the proof testing building to the main factory on July 10. The liquid hydrogen tank will form part of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the agency’s Artemis IV mission, providing thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to the rocket engines during launch. Soon, teams with SLS prime contractor, Boeing, will move the tank into the facility’s vertical assembly building for cleaning operations. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans transport the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank from the proof testing building to the main factory on July 10. The liquid hydrogen tank will form part of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the agency’s Artemis IV mission, providing thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to the rocket engines during launch. Soon, teams with SLS prime contractor, Boeing, will move the tank into the facility’s vertical assembly building for cleaning operations. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans transport the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank from the proof testing building to the main factory on July 10. The liquid hydrogen tank will form part of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the agency’s Artemis IV mission, providing thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to the rocket engines during launch. Soon, teams with SLS prime contractor, Boeing, will move the tank into the facility’s vertical assembly building for cleaning operations. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans transport the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank from the proof testing building to the main factory on July 10. The liquid hydrogen tank will form part of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the agency’s Artemis IV mission, providing thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to the rocket engines during launch. Soon, teams with SLS prime contractor, Boeing, will move the tank into the facility’s vertical assembly building for cleaning operations. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans transport the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank from the proof testing building to the main factory on July 10. The liquid hydrogen tank will form part of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the agency’s Artemis IV mission, providing thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to the rocket engines during launch. Soon, teams with SLS prime contractor, Boeing, will move the tank into the facility’s vertical assembly building for cleaning operations. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans transport the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank from the proof testing building to the main factory on July 10. The liquid hydrogen tank will form part of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the agency’s Artemis IV mission, providing thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to the rocket engines during launch. Soon, teams with SLS prime contractor, Boeing, will move the tank into the facility’s vertical assembly building for cleaning operations. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.     Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker

Back shell panels are visible on the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis IV mission inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024. The back shell panels serve as the outer layer of the spacecraft and will protect it against the extreme temperatures of re-entry from deep space.

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

The engine section of NASA’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) core stage arrives at the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, after being transported from the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building. NASA’s Pegasus barge delivered the core stage engine section housing the four RS-25 engines from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The engine section is one the most complex and intricate parts of the rocket stage that will help power the Artemis missions to the Moon.

Teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems transport the engine section of the agency’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) core stage from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the spaceport’s Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. NASA’s Pegasus barge delivered the core stage engine section housing the four RS-25 engines from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The engine section is one the most complex and intricate parts of the rocket stage that will help power the Artemis missions to the Moon.

Teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems transport the engine section of the agency’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) core stage from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the spaceport’s Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. NASA’s Pegasus barge delivered the core stage engine section housing the four RS-25 engines from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The engine section is one the most complex and intricate parts of the rocket stage that will help power the Artemis missions to the Moon.

Teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems transport the engine section of the agency’s Artemis IV SLS (Space Launch System) core stage from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the spaceport’s Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. NASA’s Pegasus barge delivered the core stage engine section housing the four RS-25 engines from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The engine section is one the most complex and intricate parts of the rocket stage that will help power the Artemis missions to the Moon.

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans load alluminum alloy panels into the Vertical Weld Center June 1. The Vertical Weld Center is a friction-stir weld tool for the large structures of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Teams load the panels into the VWC using an overhead crane system, then multiple panels are welded together to create entire barrels. The panels in these images are some of the five barrels that will form the SLS liquid hydrogen propellant tank for the SLS rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which is also the first flight of SLS in its more powerful Block 1B configuration. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and the engine section. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen cooled to minus 432 degrees Fahrenheit and sits between the core stage’s intertank and engine section. The liquid hydrogen hardware, along with the liquid oxygen tank, provides propellant to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the core stage to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch the Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rocket’s massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon. NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with Orion and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans load alluminum alloy panels into the Vertical Weld Center June 1. The Vertical Weld Center is a friction-stir weld tool for the large structures of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Teams load the panels into the VWC using an overhead crane system, then multiple panels are welded together to create entire barrels. The panels in these images are some of the five barrels that will form the SLS liquid hydrogen propellant tank for the SLS rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which is also the first flight of SLS in its more powerful Block 1B configuration. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and the engine section. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen cooled to minus 432 degrees Fahrenheit and sits between the core stage’s intertank and engine section. The liquid hydrogen hardware, along with the liquid oxygen tank, provides propellant to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the core stage to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch the Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rocket’s massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon. NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with Orion and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans load alluminum alloy panels into the Vertical Weld Center June 1. The Vertical Weld Center is a friction-stir weld tool for the large structures of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Teams load the panels into the VWC using an overhead crane system, then multiple panels are welded together to create entire barrels. The panels in these images are some of the five barrels that will form the SLS liquid hydrogen propellant tank for the SLS rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which is also the first flight of SLS in its more powerful Block 1B configuration. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and the engine section. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen cooled to minus 432 degrees Fahrenheit and sits between the core stage’s intertank and engine section. The liquid hydrogen hardware, along with the liquid oxygen tank, provides propellant to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the core stage to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch the Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rocket’s massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon. NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with Orion and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans load alluminum alloy panels into the Vertical Weld Center June 1. The Vertical Weld Center is a friction-stir weld tool for the large structures of the core stage for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Teams load the panels into the VWC using an overhead crane system, then multiple panels are welded together to create entire barrels. The panels in these images are some of the five barrels that will form the SLS liquid hydrogen propellant tank for the SLS rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which is also the first flight of SLS in its more powerful Block 1B configuration. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and the engine section. The liquid hydrogen propellant tank holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen cooled to minus 432 degrees Fahrenheit and sits between the core stage’s intertank and engine section. The liquid hydrogen hardware, along with the liquid oxygen tank, provides propellant to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the core stage to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch the Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rocket’s massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon. NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with Orion and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

The heat shield carrier for Orion’s Artemis IV mission is in view secured on a work stand in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024. The carrier structure holds the thermal protection system heat shield securely to the Orion crew module while facing launch, reentry, and splashdown impact loads.

The heat shield carrier for Orion’s Artemis IV mission is in view secured on a work stand in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024. The carrier structure holds the thermal protection system heat shield securely to the Orion crew module while facing launch, reentry, and splashdown impact loads.

Move crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into a production area inside the 43-acre rocket factory on March 6, 2026. The tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, will soon undergo a series of non-destructive evaluation tests to ensure the tank is ready for the next step in the production process. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Move crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into a production area inside the 43-acre rocket factory on March 6, 2026. The tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, will soon undergo a series of non-destructive evaluation tests to ensure the tank is ready for the next step in the production process. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Move crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into a production area inside the 43-acre rocket factory on March 6, 2026. The tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, will soon undergo a series of non-destructive evaluation tests to ensure the tank is ready for the next step in the production process. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Move crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into a production area inside the 43-acre rocket factory on March 6, 2026. The tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, will soon undergo a series of non-destructive evaluation tests to ensure the tank is ready for the next step in the production process. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Move crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into a production area inside the 43-acre rocket factory on March 6, 2026. The tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, will soon undergo a series of non-destructive evaluation tests to ensure the tank is ready for the next step in the production process. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Move crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into a production area inside the 43-acre rocket factory on March 6, 2026. The tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, will soon undergo a series of non-destructive evaluation tests to ensure the tank is ready for the next step in the production process. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Move crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans move the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into a production area inside the 43-acre rocket factory on March 6, 2026. The tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, will soon undergo a series of non-destructive evaluation tests to ensure the tank is ready for the next step in the production process. The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquidoxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, ronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquidoxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, ronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquidoxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, ronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquidoxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, ronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquidoxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, ronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans use a heavy-lift mobile transport apparatus to move a 51-foot-tall liquid oxygen tank out of the vertical assembly building and into the main rocket factory on June 11. The liquidoxygen tank will form part of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for NASA’s Artemis IV mission to the Moon. Next, technicians with Boeing, SLS core stage prime contractor, and NASA will perform dimensional inspections and install internal baffles on the propellant tank before the next phase of production. The propellant tank will hold more than 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid oxygen at launch and is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall SLS rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines at its base, produces more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, ronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.