Artemis III SLS Core Stage Integration
A crane moves the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage into High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, 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.