NASA Pegasus Barge Empty Cargo Bay for SLS

The cavernous cargo bay of NASA’s Pegasus barge is designed to transport Space Launch System (SLS) rocket stages from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Its reinforced hull and climate-controlled enclosure protect sensitive rocket components from Gulf Coast humidity and salt exposure during the 900-mile transit. Originally constructed in 1999 for Space Shuttle external tanks, the Pegasus was lengthened and upgraded in 2014 to accommodate the larger core stages for the Artemis program. This specialized vessel remains a critical part of NASA’s logistics infrastructure, facilitating the movement of vital spaceflight hardware. Related photographs from the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where NASA’s Space Launch System core stages are assembled for Artemis missions.