One rocket, coming right up. 🚀 In this image, technicians are preparing to connect two major parts of the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. On Jan. 30, technicians moved the largest part of the stage, the 130-foot (40-meter) liquid hydrogen tank to the vertical assembly area. Here, it will be prepared for joining with the 66-foot (20-meter) forward assembly. This will complete construction of most of the core stage for #Artemis II. During launch, more than 700,000 gallons of propellant flows from the core stage tanks to the engines that produce more than 2 million pounds (907,000 kg) of thrust to help launch the SLS rocket. The core stage serves as the backbone of the rocket, supporting the weight of the payload, upper stage, and Orion crew vehicle, as well as the thrust of its four RS-25 engines and two five-segment solid rocket boosters attached to the engine and intertank sections. The Artemis II mission will help NASA prepare for ...