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THE BACKBONE FOR NASA’S ARTEMIS THREE MISSION HAS ARRIVED AT THE KENNEDY SPACE MARKING A MILESTONE IN THE RETURN TO THE MOON. THIS THING IS HUGE THAT YOU SAW BEHIND US. WESH TWO. SPACE COAST REPORTER MEGHAN MORIARTY IS LIVE AT KSC. EXPLAIN THE DELIVERY PROCESS AND THE NEXT STEPS. MEAGHAN BIG DAY OUT THERE. BIG DAY OUT HERE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. AND IT SIGNALS A VERY SMALL STEP TOWARDS AN ARTEMIS THREE LAUNCH, WHICH IS EXPECTED IN LATE 2027. YOU CAN SEE HERE BEHIND ME, THIS IS NOT THE USUAL SITE HERE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. THAT IS NASA’S PEGASUS BARGE, WHICH BROUGHT THE ARTEMIS THREE CORE STAGE HERE YESTERDAY. AND THEN TODAY THEY LOADED THAT INTO THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING. AND NOW WE’RE AWAITING NEXT STEPS. AFTER A WEEK LONG JOURNEY SPANNING 900 MILES, THE CORE STAGE OF THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM ROCKET HAS ARRIVED AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. THIS IS THE NEXT STAGE IN PROJECT ARTEMIS. THE NEWLY ARRIVED HARDWARE COMES AFTER A SUCCESSFUL ARTEMIS TWO LAUNCH IN EARLY APRIL. NOW, IT’S TIME FOR THE ARTEMIS THREE WORK TO BEGIN RESEARCH. CHEMIST DOCTOR KEN KRAMER SAYS CREWS WILL TEST THE SLS TO ENSURE THERE WASN’T ANY DAMAGE ON ITS TRIP FROM NEW ORLEANS. NOW THAT IT’S IN THE VAB. WELL, WHAT ARRIVED TODAY IS 4/5 OF THE CORE STAGE, MINUS THE FOUR RS 25 ENGINES AT THE BOTTOM. THOSE ARE RECYCLED FROM THE SPACE SHUTTLE. SO THAT’S THE ENGINE SECTION, THE TAIL SECTION, AND THAT’S ALL READY HERE IN THE VAB. AND IT WILL BE BOLTED ON THE BOTTOM OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. NEXT THING TO BE ADDED WOULD BE THE TWO GIANT SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS. AND THAT’S ALL GOING TO TAKE MANY MONTHS TIME. AND WHEN IT ACTUALLY STARTS, THAT WILL BE DETERMINED BY WHEN NASA DECIDES THOSE LUNAR LANDERS ARE READY. THAT’S THE LONG POLE IN THE TENT. I BELIEVE SLS AND ORION WILL BE READY. BOTH SPACEX AND BLUE ORIGIN ARE WORKING ON MOON LANDERS FOR THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM RIGHT NOW. BOTH APPEAR TO BE BEHIND SCHEDULE, PUSHING AN ARTEMIS THREE LAUNCH TO LATE 2027. NO TIME TO WASTE. CHINA IS HOT ON OUR HEELS. THEY’RE AIMING FOR 2030. TWO LAUNCHES THEY PUT OUT. NASA IS AIMING FOR A MOON LANDING IN 2028, BUT THAT’S DEPENDENT ON A SUCCESSFUL ARTEMIS THREE MISSION. THE SOLID BOOSTERS WILL BE RETURNED HERE VIA TRAIN FROM UTAH, AND KRAMER TELLS US ALSO THAT THE ASSEMBLY OF THE ARTEMIS THREE ROCKET WON’T START UNTIL WE HAVE A MOO

After a weeklong journey spanning 900 miles, the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has arrived at Kennedy Space Center.“This is the next stage in Project Artemis,” Research Chemist Ken Kremer said.The newly arrived hardware comes after a successful Artemis II launch in early April. Now, it’s time for the Artemis III work to begin. Kremer said crews will begin testing the SLS rocket to ensure there wasn’t any damage during its trip from New Orleans.“What arrived today is four-fifths of the core stage, minus the four RS-25 engines at the bottom. Those are recycled from the space shuttle,” Kremer said. “That’s the engine section, the tail section, and that’s already here in the VAB. It will be bolted on the bottom over the next few weeks.”The next addition will be the two giant solid rocket boosters.“That will all take many months, and when it all starts will be determined by when NASA decides those lunar landers are ready,” Kremer said.Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are working on Moon landers for the Artemis program. Right now, both appear to be behind schedule, pushing an Artemis III launch to late 2027.“There’s no time to waste. This is important to point out—no time to waste,” Kremer said. “China is hot on our heels. They’re aiming for 2030. They have a very simple program: two launches.”NASA is aiming for a Moon landing in 2028, which is dependent on a successful Artemis III mission.Kremer said assembly of the Artemis III rocket won’t start until a lunar lander is ready to go.

After a weeklong journey spanning 900 miles, the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has arrived at Kennedy Space Center.

“This is the next stage in Project Artemis,” Research Chemist Ken Kremer said.

The newly arrived hardware comes after a successful Artemis II launch in early April. Now, it’s time for the Artemis III work to begin. Kremer said crews will begin testing the SLS rocket to ensure there wasn’t any damage during its trip from New Orleans.

“What arrived today is four-fifths of the core stage, minus the four RS-25 engines at the bottom. Those are recycled from the space shuttle,” Kremer said. “That’s the engine section, the tail section, and that’s already here in the VAB. It will be bolted on the bottom over the next few weeks.”

The next addition will be the two giant solid rocket boosters.

“That will all take many months, and when it all starts will be determined by when NASA decides those lunar landers are ready,” Kremer said.

Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are working on Moon landers for the Artemis program. Right now, both appear to be behind schedule, pushing an Artemis III launch to late 2027.

“There’s no time to waste. This is important to point out—no time to waste,” Kremer said. “China is hot on our heels. They’re aiming for 2030. They have a very simple program: two launches.”

NASA is aiming for a Moon landing in 2028, which is dependent on a successful Artemis III mission.

Kremer said assembly of the Artemis III rocket won’t start until a lunar lander is ready to go.