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

The Artemis III primary and back-up crew members pose for a photo with employees from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Dressed in blue flight suits, from left, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano, and NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas viewed the work progress on the Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage inside High Bay 2, visible in the background. 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.