Inside NASA’s Pegasus Barge Cargo Hold

Inside look at NASA’s Pegasus Barge at Michoud Assembly
The interior of NASA’s Pegasus barge shows its cavernous cargo bay, designed to carry the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket stages from New Orleans to Florida. The reinforced hull and climate-controlled enclosure protect rocket components from Gulf Coast humidity and salt exposure during transit. Originally built in 1999 to move Space Shuttle external tanks, Pegasus was lengthened and upgraded in 2014 to accommodate the larger Artemis-era core stages. The vessel remains a vital part of NASA’s logistics network, connecting Michoud Assembly Facility with Kennedy Space Center via a 900-mile inland and coastal route.

The interior of NASA’s Pegasus barge shows its cavernous cargo bay, designed to carry the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket stages from New Orleans to Florida. The reinforced hull and climate-controlled enclosure protect rocket components from Gulf Coast humidity and salt exposure during transit. Originally built in 1999 to move Space Shuttle external tanks, Pegasus was lengthened and upgraded in 2014 to accommodate the larger Artemis-era core stages. The vessel remains a vital part of NASA’s logistics network, connecting Michoud Assembly Facility with Kennedy Space Center via a 900-mile inland and coastal route.

Note:You may be interested in my photos from my visit to the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility..

Michoud, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Photo taken in August 2018. © Chad Davis