It’s been just a month since NASA’s Artemis 2 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific after their lunar flyby. Now, the agency is busy prepping for the next test flight in the Artemis program.
The first stage of the Artemis 3 Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is now vertical at NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida. This huge rocket component is awaiting its engine section, which technicians recently lifted into High Bay 2. Once the rocket’s four engines are in place, it will move to the taller High Bay 3 for further assembly.
Standing at 212 feet (65 meters), the core stage houses the four powerful RS-25 engines. When fully assembled, including its upper stage, Orion spacecraft, and solid rocket boosters, the SLS will tower at 322 feet (98 meters) and weigh 5.75 million pounds (2.6 million kilograms) when fueled.
The Artemis program aims to send astronauts to the moon regularly starting in 2028, with plans to establish a lunar base by the early 2030s. Artemis 2, launched on April 1, featured astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. This mission showed that Orion can safely carry crew members in space.
Now, Artemis 3 will not land on the moon as initially planned. Instead, it will launch Orion into Earth orbit. The crew will practice docking maneuvers with NASA’s moon landers, either SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon, to ensure they can safely transport astronauts to the moon in future missions.
Delays in the development of the landers led NASA to adjust its plans. To ensure everything is ready, Artemis 3 will focus on these critical tests. If successful, NASA aims for Artemis 4 to be the program’s first crewed moon landing in 2028. Starship is currently the chosen lander, but Blue Moon’s readiness could shift this decision.
It took around a year for Artemis 2’s components to be fully assembled at the VAB. The timeline for Artemis 3 depends on the production and testing progress of its parts. If all goes according to plan, Artemis 3 could launch in late 2027, provided at least one lander is ready for action.
This ambitious program is surrounded by excitement and anticipation. Social media is buzzing with updates and a sense of wonder about humanity’s next steps on the moon. Keep an eye on NASA’s updates for the latest news as they prepare for this groundbreaking chapter in space exploration.
