# NASA finishes Artemis III booster stacking; core stage joins next to complete the short stack

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/stories/nasa-finishes-artemis-iii-booster-stacking-core-stage-joins-next-to-1014bc17
Date: 30 Sep 2026
About: [NASA](https://technooptimist.io/companies/nasa.md)
Original source: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/10/13/nasa-completes-artemis-iii-booster-stacking-shares-status-update/

NASA finished stacking the solid rocket boosters for Artemis III on September 30, 2026, inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Next, the core stage is to be integrated with the boosters to complete a short stack, which will roll to Launch Pad 39B for a tanking test in the coming months. The boosters will provide more than 75 percent of SLS thrust at liftoff.

## Key facts

- Nose cones were attached to the left and right forward assemblies; all four RS-25 engines are installed on the core stage.
- The systems tunnel carrying pyrotechnic cabling goes in along the core stage before core-stage integration, due in the coming weeks.
- At the pad, the flame deflector is being refurbished after minimal damage from the Artemis II launch.
- The Orion stage adapter, launch vehicle stage adapter and Artemis III spacer are on track to ship to Kennedy early next year.

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