The Artemis 2 mission is reaching a new decisive milestone. NASA has assembled the core of its gigantic SLS rocket in preparation for launch. Four astronauts are preparing to approach the Moon for the first time since 1972.
Major lunar missions cannot be prepared in a few weeks. Every part of a launcher must be manufactured, tested, transported, and then integrated with extreme rigor. This is particularly true for the Artemis program, which aims to bring humans around, and then to, the surface of the Moon. After Artemis 1, an unmanned test mission launched in 2022, NASA is now focusing on Artemis 2, the first manned flight of this cycle. This mission marks an important step before the return to the lunar surface planned for Artemis 3.
On March 23, 2025, NASA finalized a key phase of the assembly of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The heart of the launcher, a 65-meter-long orange module, was moved using a giant crane, then installed between two white boosters, each 54 meters long. The operation took place in the assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ultimately, the assembly will reach 98 meters high and will be capable of generating the thrust needed to send the Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit.
NASA completes the stacking of the SLS launch vehicle for Artemis 2, the first manned mission around the Moon
The Artemis 2 mission will carry four astronauts aboard Orion for a flight around the Moon. This will be the first time since the end of the Apollo program in 1972 that a crew will venture this far. The crew is made up of of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen. They will not land on our natural satellite, but will complete a complete loop around it to validate all human spaceflight systems before Artemis 3.
The rest of the rocket continues to be assembled gradually. The solar panels, separation hulls, and European service modules have also recently been integrated. The Orion spacecraft, placed atop the assembly, will be installed in the coming months. Originally scheduled for 2025, the launch of Artemis 2 was pushed back to spring 2026 following a problem discovered with the module's heat shield. Artemis 3, which is to mark humanity's return to the Moon, is now expected in 2027.
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