NASA Michoud VAB, New Orleans, SLS Core Stages

NASA Michoud Vehicle Assembly Building Exterior
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.
Photo taken in August 2018.
Photo Part Of
NASA Artemis SLS Rocket Factory
41 photos • 2018
Map
OpenStreetMap Google Maps
More from NASA Artemis SLS Rocket Factory
NASA SLS Core Stage Fuel Tank Interior, Michoud
NASA SLS Core Stage Fuel Tank Interior, Michoud
The interior of a Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage fuel tank at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans,…
Boeing SLS Core Stage Dome Section, NASA Michoud
Boeing SLS Core Stage Dome Section, NASA Michoud
A completed dome section for the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage is staged outside the Boeing production area at…
NASA Barge Pegasus Moored on Intracoastal Waterway, LA
NASA Barge Pegasus Moored on Intracoastal Waterway, LA
The NASA barge Pegasus is moored on the Intracoastal Waterway near New Orleans, Louisiana. Constructed in 1999, the vessel initially…
NASA Michoud Vertical Assembly Area, SLS Rocket Stages
NASA Michoud Vertical Assembly Area, SLS Rocket Stages
The towering interior of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, is dedicated to the fabrication and assembly of…
NASA Michoud: Yellow Rocket Assembly Cranes
NASA Michoud: Yellow Rocket Assembly Cranes
An elevated platform provides a perspective of the overhead gantry crane system within NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans,…
NASA Michoud: SLS Core Stage Vertical Assembly Center
NASA Michoud: SLS Core Stage Vertical Assembly Center
The Vertical Assembly Center at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a critical component in the production…
Nearby Photos

Built in Minneapolis

Photographs showcasing change over time

Browse by location, move through long-running series, or start with recent work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis