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Quoted from the spaceexplored page, Monday (3/27/2023), NASA’s Space Launch System rocket consists of four main parts. First stage, main stage, solid rocket boosters, cryogenic mid-upper stage (second stage) and Orion spacecraft.

Each section takes time to build, and the largest of the four is the main stage. Consisting of five main structures, the Engine Section, Liquid Hydrogen Tanks, Intermediate Tanks, Liquid Oxygen Tanks, and Forward Edge, the Core Stage performs most of the lifting between launch and orbit insertion. .

This section is also the tallest and is approximately 212 feet or 64.6 meters high, so the Core Stage is almost 2/3 the height of the entire SLS rocket. The final segment of the Core Stage, the engine segment, was docked to the rest on March 17 and announced by NASA earlier this week.

Once this structure is complete, technicians can begin attaching the four RS-25 engines under the rocket. Two of the four engines flew on previous shuttle flights, and the third and fourth contained the flyable hardware.

One final piece of the Core Stage needs to be installed, the Launcher Stage Adapter. This section wraps around the second stage and connects the main stage to the Orion stage adapter. However, these were built and delivered to Kennedy Space Center separately. NASA therefore does not include it in the Core Stage.

“Over the next year, we will see the required Artemis II rocket parts shipped from across the country and arrive at Kennedy Space Center for assembly. NASA also announced four crew members who will depart for the Moon on April 3, three astronauts from NASA and one from the Canadian Space Agency.

(web)