A first look at the world’s most powerful rocket that will return humans to the Moon

Nasa assembles the enormous core stage of its Super Launch System

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  The 212-feet Super Launch System rocket was lifted vertically in between two boosters. All photos: Nasa SLS/Twitter

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  The assembly of the core stage is a major milestone for the Artemis programme, which involves a series of human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.

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  The 212-foot-tall SLS rocket will produce about 3.99 million kgs of thrust to lift the enormous rocket off the ground and propel towards space.

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  With its two propellant tanks, miles of cabling and four RS-25 engines, the core stage is the largest element of the rocket. Nasa SLS/Twitter

With the core of the world’s most powerful rocket – the Super Launch System – now assembled, US space agency Nasa is one step closer to launching an uncrewed mission to the Moon in November.

Engineers at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida lowered the 85.2-tonne megarocket in between two small boosters last week.

This is a major milestone for Nasa's Artemis programme, which involves a series of human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.

The first mission involves an uncrewed mission in November that will test the rocket.

“Engineers with Exploration Ground Systems and Jacob Connects lifted the Nasa SLS rocket core stage for the Nasa Artemis 1 mission in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Nasa Kennedy,” Nasa tweeted.

The rocket will lift off from the Florida centre's Launch Complex 39B.

It will produce about 3.99 million kilograms of thrust that will lift the enormous rocket off the ground and propel it towards space.

If Artemis 1 is successful, the next man and first woman to the Moon will travel there on the Orion capsule, carried  by the Super Launch System.

The crewed mission is expected in 2023.