NASA is preparing the SLS rocket for the Artemis III mission at the Kennedy Space Center. The assembly process involves mounting the system tunnel with pyrotechnic cables onto the central stage, which already features four RS-25 engines. Once completed, the central stage will be integrated with the two solid rocket boosters to form a shortened configuration without the Orion spacecraft or upper stage adapters.
In the coming months, the agency will transport this assembly to launch complex 39B to conduct fueling tests. These procedures are designed to verify operational sequences and fuel loading protocols. Simultaneously, the crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, will perform a launch day rehearsal, including emergency evacuation drills.
The Artemis III mission is scheduled for launch no earlier than June 2027. Unlike subsequent lunar expeditions, this flight will remain in low Earth orbit. The crew will focus on testing docking procedures and other operations with commercial lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Meanwhile, technicians are finalizing repairs to the flame deflector at complex 39B following the Artemis II launch.
