NASA has begun processing the Artemis III moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as part of its efforts to return humans to the Moon and eventually land on Mars. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s engine section and boat-tail have been moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where they will undergo integration and check-out testing.
The SLS rocket is designed to carry a crew of four to the lunar South Pole region, with a mission planned for 2027. This will be followed by the Artemis II mission in early 2026, which will launch an uncrewed test flight around the Moon.
The rocket’s engine section is one of its most complex parts, containing four RS-25 engines and related systems. NASA has moved to streamline the manufacturing process for future missions, with the Artemis III hardware being built with the top-four-fifths complete at Kennedy Space Center.
The core stage components are currently being processed at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, while the engine section is set to ship from NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi in early 2026 for integration into the rocket. The Artemis III mission marks a significant step forward in NASA’s efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and beyond.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2025/08/18/nasa-begins-processing-artemis-iii-moon-rocket-at-kennedy