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The US space agency "NASA" continues to prepare the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket designated for the "Artemis 3" mission, in preparation for its transfer to launch pad 39B to conduct the necessary tests, without installing the upper stage or the "Orion" spacecraft at this time.
According to the "NASASpaceflight" website, the rocket's two boosters are ready, while the core stage has been equipped with its four RS-25 engines.
The core stage is expected to be mated with the boosters in the coming period, before the rocket is moved to the launch pad to conduct fueling system tests. Simultaneously, crew members will participate in their first launch day rehearsal, which includes wearing spacesuits and practicing the use of emergency evacuation routes.
NASA had previously revealed a modification to the "Artemis 3" mission objectives, whereby it will no longer include a lunar landing, but will instead be limited to sending the "Orion" spacecraft into low Earth orbit to test docking operations with the lunar landers being developed by companies "SpaceX" and "Blue Origin".
These tests aim to pave the way for the "Artemis 4" mission, during which a lunar landing is planned to be carried out using the vehicles designated for that purpose.
The "Artemis 3" rocket is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 2027, while NASA aims to carry out the lunar landing mission as part of "Artemis 4" in 2028.
It is noteworthy that the "Artemis" program, launched by NASA in 2019, aims to return humans to the Moon and develop space exploration technologies in preparation for future trips to Mars.
The "Artemis 1" and "Artemis 2" missions have achieved their goals, as the first tested the "Orion" spacecraft without astronauts on a flight around the Moon and back to Earth, while the second witnessed a crewed flight around the Moon, forming two fundamental stages in the journey of the American space program.
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