Artemis III Launch Simulation

From left, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director and Mari Forrestel, Artemis launch director technical assistant, both with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, participate in a cryogenic propellant loading simulation for NASA’s Artemis III mission on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, inside Firing Rooms 1 and 2 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Members of NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team rehearse the steps to load the super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage, a process that starts several hours before liftoff for the Artemis III mission. Artemis III will carry out a series of objectives in low Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV.