Artemis III Crew Visit to KSC, VAB, Prototype Lab, IOZ

The Artemis III primary and back-up crew members view the work progress on the Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage inside High Bay 2 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Dressed in blue flight suits, NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano view the four RS-25 engines on the work stand for integration with the core stage. This marked the first visit to Kennedy by the entire crew and backup crew members. Artemis III will launch four crew members aboard the Orion spacecraft to carry out a series of objectives in low Earth orbit designed to demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar landings, beginning with Artemis IV.