NASA Moves Artemis IV Liquid Hydrogen Tank Ahead of SLS Assembly
The 130-foot tank for the Space Launch System rocket has been relocated to a test building, marking a key step in the preparation for the Artemis IV mission.
Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have successfully transported the liquid hydrogen tank designated for the Artemis IV mission. The move took place on 15 May 2026, shifting the 130-foot-tall component from a production cell within the main factory building to a detached test building on a separate portion of the 829-acre site.
According to NASA, the tank will form part of the core stage for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This heavy-lift launch vehicle is designed for deep space exploration and serves as the primary transport for the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon.
Once integrated, the tank is expected to provide thousands of gallons of super-cold propellant to one of the SLS’s four RS-25 engines. These high-performance engines were originally developed for the Space Shuttle programme and remain a critical element of NASA’s current launch architecture.
The relocation of the tank represents a logistical milestone within the manufacturing process at the Michoud Assembly Facility. Moving the component to a dedicated test building allows for further verification before it is finalised for assembly with the rest of the rocket’s core stage.
While the transport of the tank has been completed, the specific date for the Artemis IV launch remains unconfirmed in current reporting. NASA continues to manage the timeline for the mission as part of its broader efforts to establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface.
