NASA has accelerated preparations for the Artemis 3 mission, with various assembly activities taking place at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, United States. According to an update released on Monday (13), the progress of the work is described as being 'in full swing.'
This mission is scheduled to take place in mid to late 2027 and will carry four astronauts into low Earth orbit. They will travel aboard the Orion spacecraft, manufactured by Blue Origin, a company owned by Jeff Bezos, and will be launched using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Artemis 3 represents the second crewed mission of the Artemis program, whose fundamental purpose is to establish a lasting human presence on the Moon.
The central stage of the SLS rocket arrived at KSC at the end of April and was subsequently connected to the engine block in May. In June, the first two of the four RS-25 engines for the central stage were delivered. The installation of the remaining engines on this block will only occur after their arrival, at which point NASA plans to begin integration with the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) and conduct operational launch tests.
Additionally, in June, a temporary protective cover was provided to safeguard the stage during transport to the launch pad for testing before the vehicle is fully assembled. The lower segments of the two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) were recently delivered and are already fixed to the MLP. The upper segments arrived at KSC by train in June and will undergo inspections and tests before the boosters are fully assembled.
In the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building within KSC, engineers finalized the installation of the Orion spacecraft's heat shield. Artemis 3 will be the first Orion mission to use a revised heat shield, incorporating design improvements based on the analysis of unexpected wear observed on the shield used in the Artemis 1 mission.
The Orion service module is also located in the Operations and Checkout Building and recently completed its acoustic tests. Both the service module and the capsule are being prepared to be joined and subsequently transported to the VAB for final assembly.
In the operations area, the Artemis 3 team at KSC has begun conducting monthly countdown simulations. These simulations aim to refine the propellant fueling procedures for the SLS, the terminal countdown operations—the final ten minutes before launch—and the launch day procedures. NASA stated that these tests will continue regularly until launch.
Although Artemis 3 will not go to the Moon, NASA considers it a crucial phase in the program's lunar landing structure. The SLS will launch Orion and its four-person crew into low Earth orbit, where rendezvous and docking with two commercial lunar landers will occur: the Starship from SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, and the Blue Moon spacecraft from Blue Origin.
This mission follows Artemis 2, which took astronauts around the Moon in April 2026. Astronauts Randy Bresnik and Andre Douglas, designated for Artemis 3, visited the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at KSC last Friday (10).
While work continues on Artemis 3, other teams are already advancing preparations for Artemis 4, which is scheduled for late 2028. This mission aims to take astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.
Recently, the liquid oxygen tank of the Artemis 4 SLS central stage was relocated inside the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, United States, initiating the testing phase for this component.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, developed by NASA, has reached an advanced stage of preparation after being positioned vertically by engineers from the Kennedy Space Center. This movement allows the observatory to proceed with crucial inspections and tests before its mission.
According to the publication Science, this procedure is part of the activities preceding the telescope's final assembly for launch. The Roman was transported in a specialized container, maintaining strict control over temperature and humidity, traveling from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Upon arrival, technicians removed the observatory from the packaging and performed additional cleaning to eliminate any contaminants from the facility. Subsequently, the equipment was transferred to the large assembly hangar, where it will continue to undergo various stages of preparation.
Subsequent phases include meticulous inspections of the observatory, conducting operational tests of its systems, pre-launch integration work, and final preparation for the space journey.
The telescope is named after Nancy Grace Roman, recognized as NASA's first chief astronomer and a fundamental figure in the development of the Hubble Space Telescope. Its main purpose is to expand the capacity to study the cosmos and observe the Universe more completely.
Science points out that the Roman will feature a field of view at least one hundred times larger than Hubble's. This characteristic will allow it to capture more extensive spatial areas in a single observation, assisting scientists in analyzing various astronomical phenomena.
NASA, in partnership with SpaceX, plans to launch the telescope using the Falcon Heavy rocket, departing from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The mission is expected to occur on a date after Sunday, August 30th. Meanwhile, teams are dedicated to the necessary tests and procedures to ensure the full functionality of the observatory.
With its expanded vision compared to Hubble, the Roman establishes itself as a new and powerful tool for investigating distant regions of the Universe and seeking answers to central questions in contemporary astronomy.
