Aug. 12 (UPI) -- NASA is ready to show off its final piece of space flight hardware for the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis II mission.
NASA has invited media to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., to see the piece.
The rest of the SLS rocket for Artemis II is stacked on mobile launcher 1 at Kennedy. Artemis II, NASA's first mission with crew aboard the Orion spacecraft, is scheduled for a 10-day trip around the moon in April 2026.
The Orion stage adapter, built by NASA Marshall, connects the SLS rocket's interim cryogenic propulsion stage to NASA's Orion spacecraft. The small ring structure is the topmost portion of the SLS rocket. The adapter will also carry small payloads, called CubeSats, to deep space.
Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars, NASA said.
