Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are progressing with the stacking of hardware for the Artemis III Space Launch System (SLS) while also reviewing data from the Artemis II mission. The post-flight analysis of Orion’s heat shield confirmed a modified reentry profile significantly reduced char loss compared to Artemis I. Work on both Artemis III and Artemis IV hardware is underway in parallel.
NASA teams completed mating the center segments of the twin five-segment solid rocket boosters for Artemis III. They have begun stacking forward center segments, leaving only the forward assemblies to complete each booster stack. Photographs reveal the Tail Service Mast Umbilicals are missing their quick-disconnect plates, potentially reflecting a design change prompted by leaks discovered during Artemis II processing or part of the launcher’s refurbishment.
Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), all four RS-25 engines have been installed on Core Stage-3. This milestone allows for remaining outfitting work before the stage is transferred to Mobile Launcher 1, positioned between the two boosters. Additionally, the boattail – the final major piece needed for the engine section of Core Stage-4 – was delivered to Kennedy Space Center via NASA’s Pegasus barge. The boattail provides aerodynamic support for the RS-25 engines during flight.
Analysis of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield following the April 1 Artemis II flight revealed a significant improvement in char loss. The modified reentry profile resulted in fewer than 10 percent of the char-loss sites observed after Artemis I. The issue identified after Artemis I was permeability, where heat soaked deeper into the Avcoat material during reentry.
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