NASA and Space Launch System core stage prime contractor Boeing are working to finish activating new production facilities at the Kennedy Space Center, to complete and deliver the next two units by the end of 2026. After summertime engine section hardware deliveries, the two SLS processing cells in the Space Systems Processing Facility are filled for the first time, and Boeing is preparing to check out new tooling in the Vehicle Assembly Building for the final assembly of the third and fourth stages.
While the Artemis II schedule is on hold due to decisions about what to do with the Orion spacecraft’s existing base heatshield, the mission’s SLS core stage will be installed in the new vertical platforms and tooling in VAB High Bay 2. The plan for next year is to begin the final assembly on the Artemis III unit; for now, the new VAB facility will allow Boeing to finish traveled work on the Artemis II stage while waiting to hear when stacking that vehicle might begin.