Pegasus barge
NASA's covered barge that transports SLS core stages from Michoud to Kennedy Space Center.
Last refreshed: 17 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How does NASA move a Moon rocket that is too big for a truck or train?
Timeline for Pegasus barge
Scheduled to carry SLS core stage from Michoud to KSC
Artemis II Moon Mission: Artemis III core stage ships Monday- How does NASA transport the SLS rocket?
- NASA uses the Pegasus barge, a covered cargo vessel about 260 feet long, to ship the SLS core stage from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Source: briefing
- When does the Artemis III rocket leave the factory?
- NASA announced the top four-fifths of the Artemis III SLS core stage was scheduled to roll from Michoud onto the Pegasus barge on 20 April 2026.Source: briefing
Background
The Pegasus barge is scheduled to receive the Artemis III SLS core stage 'top four-fifths' from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on or after Monday 20 April 2026, then transport it to Kennedy Space Center for integration. The component includes the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and forward skirt assembled by Boeing.
Pegasus is a purpose-built covered cargo barge operated by NASA. At 260 feet long, it is one of only a few vessels capable of transporting the SLS core stage, which is too large for road or rail transport. The barge travels the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic coast from New Orleans to Cape Canaveral. NASA also uses it to transport core stages between Michoud and Stennis Space Center for engine testing.
The Pegasus barge departure is a physical commitment to the Artemis III 2027 launch target. The barge ride cannot be reversed without significant cost and delay. It commits the programme to integrating this hardware at KSC regardless of the five open Orion engineering items that have not yet closed.
