NASA Michoud VAB, New Orleans, SLS Core Stages

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a central hub for the U.S. space program. Originally constructed during World War II for manufacturing Liberty ships, the facility later produced components for the Saturn V rocket and Space Shuttle external tanks. Currently, Boeing and NASA engineers utilize this massive structure to fabricate and assemble the core stages of the Space Launch System (SLS) for Artemis missions, supporting future human exploration of the Moon and deep space. Related photographs from the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where NASA’s Space Launch System core stages are assembled for Artemis missions.