NASA’s Artemis II mission has taken a significant step forward with the assembly of its massive core stage at Kennedy Space Center.

Crews successfully connected the 212-foot-tall core stage to its twin boosters, forming the backbone of the powerful launch vehicle.

This mission, set to launch later this year, will mark the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, paving the way for future lunar exploration, WFTV 9 has reported.

Artemis II will carry astronauts around the Moon, testing critical systems before NASA’s planned return to the lunar surface in the coming years.

Written by B.C. Begley