NASA advances preparations for next crewed Moon mission

Technicians integrate the left forward booster segment for NASA's Artemis III SLS (Space Launch System) rocket onto the left booster segments atop the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Frank Michaux/NASA via SWNS)

By Dean Murray

NASA is making progress towards its mission to land astronauts on the Moon.

Booster segments are being fitted this month to provide thrust for a crewed Artemis III mission in 2027.

Technicians integrated the left forward booster segment for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the left booster segments atop the mobile launcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Sept. 17.

NASA advances preparations for next crewed Moon mission

From left, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano, and NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Randy Bresnik, and Andre Douglas visit the Prototype Development Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (Kim Shiflett/NASA via SWNS)

By Talker

The SLS rocket’s twin boosters, each made up of five segments manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, will provide more than 75 per cent of the rocket’s total thrust at launch.

The Artemis III mission will launch astronauts into Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft, on top of the SLS rocket, to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft. This will mark a vital step towards landing Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028.

NASA’s successful Artemis II test flight earlier this year saw astronauts fly around the Moon. On April 1, Artemis II launched on a nearly 10-day voyage, marking the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, took part in the mission.