• The Boeing-built stage preps for stacking ahead of planned 2027 launch.
The central portion of the Space Launch System rocket stack is seen from a platform across the central aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The nose cones of the solid rocket booster flank the orange core stage and are surrounded by platforms and staircases.
The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket core stage is integrated with the solid rocket boosters for Artemis III in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, to complete its short stack configuration. The 212-foot rocket stage was lifted from the transfer aisle using a one-of-a-kind lifting beam designed to lift the stage. The Artemis III mission will launch crew in the Orion spacecraft on top of the SLS rocket to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.

The Boeing-built core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System has moved into High Bay 3 at Kennedy Space Center for stacking and final processing. The core stage will power Artemis III, a mission that will test systems and docking capabilities in low Earth orbit to help prepare for an Artemis IV moon landing in 2028.

Why it matters: The move advances preparations for the third Artemis mission, which will test capabilities needed for a future moon landing.

How it happened: Teams moved the core stage from the Core Stage Vertical Integration Center (CSVIC) into High Bay 3.

  • The core stage was raised 225 feet (69 meters) out of the integration center, rotated to a horizontal position and placed on a stand in the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle for final checkouts.
  • Teams then lifted it back to a vertical position in High Bay 3, where it is being stacked on the mobile launcher platform.

A faster build approach: Activating the integration center allowed Boeing to streamline the SLS core stage assembly.

  • The engine section was installed vertically at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, rather than horizontally at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.
  • This was the first core stage shipped from Michoud to Kennedy Space Center without its engine section, enabling vertical integration of the core stage at the center.

What’s next: The core stage will remain in High Bay 3 for stacking and final processing in preparation for a short-stack tanking test later this year and a 2027 launch.