Cape Canaveral, NASA has taken a major step toward launching Artemis II, the first crewed mission in its lunar exploration program, by completing the integration of a critical structural component on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

The newly added intertank structure, installed at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, connects the rocket’s liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks. This milestone brings the SLS core stage closer to final assembly, paving the way for rigorous testing ahead of the Artemis II launch.

Artemis II will carry astronauts around the Moon, marking the first human spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo. The mission is central to NASA’s broader goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the lunar surface and preparing for future crewed missions to Mars.

NASA engineers emphasized that each completed component reflects years of precision engineering and international collaboration, underscoring the scale and ambition of the Artemis program.