Artemis III SLS boosters fully stacked, core stage nears mate for pad test

NASA has finished stacking both solid rocket boosters for the Artemis III Space Launch System, and all four RS-25 engines are now installed on the Core Stage. The agency is preparing to mate the stage to the boosters to form the short stack, which will roll to Launch Pad 39B for a tanking test expected in the coming months.

Engineers with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems completed the twin five-segment boosters on 30 September by mating the nose cones to the left and right forward assemblies in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Stacking on Mobile Launcher 1 began in mid-July with the aft segments. Teams added the aft-center, center and forward-center segments through August. The boosters, built by Northrop Grumman, will deliver more than 75 percent of total SLS thrust at liftoff.

Core Stage work has kept pace in High Bay 2. The tank section arrived from Michoud Assembly Facility and was mated to the engine section before the engines were installed. The next step is fitting the systems tunnel that runs the length of the stage.

The tanking test will also give the Artemis III crew their first full launch-day rehearsal on the pad ahead of the targeted June 2027 mission.

Sourcenasaspaceflight.com