On December 11, 2024, NASA successfully lowered the 212-foot-tall core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) into High Bay 2 at the Vehicle Assembly Building, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This relocation provides technicians from NASA and Boeing with 360-degree access to the core stage, facilitating both internal and external work.
The Artemis II mission, slated for launch in 2026, marks NASA's first crewed flight under the Artemis program. The mission will include NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Together, they will embark on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth.