Orion Crew Spacecraft Integrated into Artemis II Moon Rocket | NASA

Orion Crew Spacecraft Integrated into Artemis II Moon Rocket | NASA

Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team use a crane to lift NASA’s Orion spacecraft off a KAMAG transporter to prepare for integration on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, for the agency’s Artemis II mission. 

Orion crew spacecraft integrated into Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS)

"We are loving the view inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida!"

NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft with its launch abort system was recently stacked atop the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in High Bay 3 of the VAB. This milestone marks a huge step in the mission that will carry four astronauts on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back in early 2026. 

Ahead of rolling out the integrated SLS rocket to the launch pad, teams will be conducting a series of verification tests. 

Artemis II will officially launch "no earlier than April 2026."

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Learn more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: NASA

Release Date: Nov. 18, 2025

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