NASA is moving closer to its goal to establish a permanent base on the moon by 2028. The Artemis III core stage, which generates over 2 million pounds of thrust to send astronauts aboard Orion spacecraft into Earth orbit, has left its New Orleans facility just 10 days after a successful Artemis II mission. This mission will test critical docking capabilities needed to send astronaut back to the moon’s surface. All five major structures for the Artemis III rocket stage were built at the Michoud facility, known as NASA’�s “rocket factory.” It has been integral for nearly 60 years and is the section of the rocket that houses the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt.