NASA is completing the assembly of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis 2 mission — the first crewed flight of the program scheduled for spring 2026. The work is taking place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
On April 12, engineers installed the conical adapter connecting the main SLS rocket body with the upper stage. On April 15, they delivered the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) following successful tests.
Artemis 2 will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency on a lunar flyby aboard Orion. The mission uses a 'free return trajectory' for safe return to Earth after one orbit of the Moon.
Originally planned for 2024 was Artemis 2, while Artemis 3 with moon landing was planned for 2025. However, due to damage to the Orion heat shield during the Artemis 1 mission, schedules have been delayed: Artemis 3 is now expected no earlier than 2027.