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 of space launch vehicles. This towering blue and yellow structure precisely aligns and friction-stir welds massive aluminum sections, forming the core stages of the Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS core stage is a foundational element of NASA’s Artemis program, designed to return humans to the Moon and support future deep-space exploration. Michoud Assembly Facility has a rich history in aerospace manufacturing, having produced components for the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs before its current role in the 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.