Artemis IV Core Stage Boat Tail Rolls Out at Michoud

The Artemis IV core stage’s boat tail section is lifted and moved from its production area at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Aug. 24, 2026. The boat tail refers to the aerodynamic portion positioned directly above the exposed RS-25 engine nozzles, which comprise the lower portions of the core stage’s engine section. The boat tail critically shields the rocket’s lowermost hardware, including the engines’ upper components, plumbing, and critical control systems, protecting them from the extreme heat, vibrations, and pressures during launch. The completed hardware is lifted via the factory’s overhead crane system and secured onto two self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs)—NASA’s mobile heavy transport platforms, used in tandem via joystick control, with assistance from onboard computing—for a short, low-speed drive across the facility, from the factory to the Pegasus barge. From New Orleans, the hardware travels to Kennedy Space Center for future engine section integration, and eventual stacking following the Artemis III mission. Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to buil