NASA Barge Pegasus on the Intracoastal Waterway

The NASA barge Pegasus moored along the Intracoastal Waterway near New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally built in 1999 to carry Space Shuttle external tanks from Michoud to Kennedy Space Center, the vessel was later extended and modernized to transport the massive core stages of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). Operated by the U.S. Maritime Administration and NASA’s logistics teams, Pegasus remains a vital link between Gulf Coast manufacturing and Florida launch operations for Artemis missions. Related photographs from the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where NASA’s Space Launch System core stages are assembled for Artemis missions.