NASA engineers have completed the stacking of solid rocket boosters for the Artemis III mission. The next steps include integrating the core stage and conducting a tanking test at Launch Pad 39B.
NASA engineers have completed the integration of aerodynamic nose cones onto the forward assemblies of the twin Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters for the Artemis III mission. This milestone marks the conclusion of booster stacking operations inside the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to a NASA blog post dated Sept. 30, 2026.
The completed boosters are part of the "short stack" configuration, which will be used for an upcoming tanking test. Each forward assembly includes an aerodynamic top, a forward skirt housing avionics, and a frustum housing motors that enable booster separation from the SLS core stage after launch. NASA states that these twin solid boosters will provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust during liftoff from Launch Pad 39B.
Teams have also installed all four RS-25 engines on the SLS core stage. The next phase involves installing the systems tunnel, which routes pyrotechnic cabling for controlled movements during liftoff. Once the core stage is integrated with the solid rocket boosters, the short stack configuration will be complete.
In the coming months, NASA plans to roll the short stack SLS rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B. This move will facilitate a tanking test, where the launch team will practice propellant loading procedures. During this time, the Artemis III crew—NASA astronauts Randy Bresnick, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano—will conduct a launch day rehearsal and emergency exit walkdown.
The crew has been engaged in various training activities, including helicopter underwater egress training and recovery exercises with U.S. Navy partners in San Diego. They have also sampled nearly 200 food items at NASA’s Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston to select their mission menu.
At Launch Pad 39B, teams are refurbishing the flame deflector, which sustained minimal damage during the Artemis II launch. NASA notes that the flame trench bricks were unaffected due to ground support improvements implemented after Artemis I in 2022.
Meanwhile, engineers from ESA and Airbus have inspected the solar array wings for the Orion spacecraft. Each panel, built by Airbus, generates 11 kilowatts of power and spans about 63 feet. At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the primary structure of the Artemis III spacer was completed with the welding of forward and aft rings. The spacer, along with the Orion stage adapter and launch vehicle stage adapter, is on track to ship to Kennedy early next year.
Sources
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