NASA has begun stacking the center segments of the solid rocket boosters for the Artemis III mission on Mobile Launcher 1. The assembly process for the twin five-segment boosters commenced in the Vehicle Assembly Building in July, with the final segments expected to be topped by nose cones and forward skirts currently awaiting installation.
The Artemis III mission is scheduled for no earlier than June 2027. It will carry a crew of four and the Orion spacecraft to test lunar modules. Engineers at the Kennedy Space Center have successfully completed and tested the umbilical electrical connections between the Orion crew module and the European Service Module.
Work on the rocket stages for future missions is also underway. The Core Stage for Artemis IV, planned for 2028, is currently in production, with proof testing of its liquid hydrogen tank completed in September. Meanwhile, manufacturing has begun on components for the Artemis VI Core Stage as a contingency measure.
NASA plans to utilize structural test articles for the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter and the Orion Stage Adapter during the Artemis III flight, reserving flight-ready units for Artemis IV. The agency is also preparing to transition to commercial vehicles for lunar orbit crewed flights following the completion of the Artemis V mission.
