Artemis III SLS Booster Nose Cones Arrive at Vehicle Assembly Building

The left and right aerodynamic forward assemblies (nose cones) for the twin Artemis III SLS solid rocket boosters arrived at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The nose cones will be integrated atop the boosters' forward assemblies inside High Bay 3 to give the 17-story boosters a smooth, pointed aerodynamic shape that reduces drag and keeps the rocket stable during ascent. The delivery follows the Exploration Ground Systems team's ongoing stacking of the twin SLS solid rocket booster segments, which began in early July and was running roughly four months ahead of the equivalent point in the Artemis II campaign.