NASA Begins Rocket Stacking for Artemis III Moon Mission Targeting 2027
NASA has officially begun stacking the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the Artemis III mission, currently targeted for 2027. This milestone marks a critical step toward returning astronauts to the Moon since the Apollo era.
The stacking process involves assembling the massive rocket's core stages and boosters, a complex procedure that sets the stage for the crewed lunar landing mission. Artemis III represents the next phase of NASA's Artemis program, which ultimately aims to establish sustainable lunar exploration and pave the way for future crewed missions to Mars.
Photos released by NASA document the early stages of the stacking operation, showing technicians and cranes beginning the intricate assembly process. The mission will carry astronauts, including the first woman and next man, to the lunar surface as part of NASA's broader goal of lunar sustainability.