NASA's Pegasus Barge Delivers 212-Foot Artemis III Core Stage After 900-Mile Transit
Updated
Updated · Jalopnik · May 19
NASA's Pegasus Barge Delivers 212-Foot Artemis III Core Stage After 900-Mile Transit
3 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · May 19
April 28 brought the Artemis III core stage to Kennedy Space Center, with NASA's Pegasus barge completing delivery of the 212-foot SLS section needed for the mission.
The barge handles components too large for road transport, carrying the 27.6-foot-wide core stage by water from Michoud in New Orleans across roughly 900 miles.
Pegasus was rebuilt for SLS work after serving the shuttle program, stretched from 260 feet to 310 feet because the SLS core stage is more than 50 feet taller and 600,000 pounds heavier than shuttle external tanks.
Artemis III will test the SLS rocket's ability to dock with other spacecraft in orbit, a step in NASA's broader Artemis campaign ahead of a planned 2028 moon landing under Artemis IV.
How will NASA's logistics strategy prevent partner delays from derailing its ambitious goal of annual moon landings?
With the moon landing now delayed to 2028, what critical hurdles must NASA's commercial partners overcome?
Artemis III’s Core Stage Arrives as NASA Shifts Focus to Earth Orbit Test Ahead of 2028 Moon Landing
Overview
The Artemis III core stage, the backbone of NASA’s next lunar mission, arrived at Kennedy Space Center on April 27, 2026, marking a major milestone for the Artemis program. Manufactured in New Orleans, the stage was transported 900 miles by NASA’s Pegasus barge before being unloaded and moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building, with the process livestreamed for the public. This delivery brings NASA closer to testing vital systems for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, highlighting a new, streamlined approach to assembly and integration that supports the agency’s ambitious exploration goals.