NASA has finished assembling its massive $18.6 billion (£13.18 billion) Space Launch System (SLS) 'megarocket' that will fly astronauts back to the moon over the coming decade.

This is the first time the core stage and two boosters have been together in their launch configuration since the project was announced in 2011.

NASA has finished assembling its massive $18.6 billion Space Launch System (SLS) 'megarocket' that will fly astronauts back to the moon over the coming decade.

NASA's Orion module, sitting atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will launch for the first time in November.

Teams of experts in Florida had to use a specialised crane to lift the 188,000lb core stage in between the twin solid rocket boosters, to complete the launch configuration

The 212-foot-tall core stage, which will provide more than two million pounds of thrust at launch, arrived at Kennedy on April 27. 

Together with the two solid rocket boosters, the SLS rocket will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to launch the first of NASA's next-generation Artemis Moon missions, with Artemis-1 launching in November this year

Now the core stage is in place with the boosters, NASA will integrate other elements of the rocket needed for launch preparedness testing to begin

SLS will launch for the first time in November this year, sending the Orion capsule on an uncrewed jaunt around the moon as part of the first Artemis mission

This is the first time the core stage and two boosters have been together in their launch configuration since the project was announced in 2011

In March the core stage engines were fired for eight minutes - the time it takes for SLS to get from the ground up into space. 

Teams had to use a specialised crane to lift the 188,000lb core stage in between the twin solid rocket boosters, to complete the launch configuration

NASA finishes assembling $18 billion Space Launch System megarocket

Nasa's Space Launch System, or SLS, is an advanced launch vehicle that will 'provide the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit', according to the space agency

Nasa's Space Launch System, or SLS, is an advanced launch vehicle that will 'provide the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit', according to the space agency (artist's impression)