Like Artemis I, the SLS rockets that will power the Artemis II and III objectives to the Moon will utilize the Block 1 setup with the interim cryogenic propulsion phase (ICPS). Starting with Artemis IV, the SLS rocket will develop into a more powerful setup called the Block 1B, which changes the ICPS with the more dynamic Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) for in-space propulsion to send out crew and big cargos to the Moon.
Specialists at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are producing structures for multiple Space Launch System rockets that will power future Artemis flights. The dome of the liquid oxygen tank of the core phase for Artemis IV is presently in fabrication. Simply behind the dome tool is the interank of the core phase for Artemis IV. Flight hardware of the SLS Exploration Upper Stage, a more effective in-space propulsion stage beginning with Artemis IV, is in early production at Michoud. Credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon
NASA and Boeing, lead professional for the SLS core stage, are making the 212-foot-tall stages for Artemis II, III, and IV at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The Artemis II core stage is in final assembly. Once the engine section is signed up with to the other 4 components for the Artemis II core phase at Michoud, groups will uncrate and set up each of the 4 RS-25 engines to the phase and after that all set it for delivery to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Service technicians are all at once preparing for core phase assembly and outfitting activities for the Artemis III Moon rocket– the engine section for Artemis III was delivered to Kennedy in December 2022. In tandem, groups at Michoud are continuing all core stage manufacturing and production activities for the five significant components of the core stage for Artemis III and IV.
Technicians at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are producing structures for numerous Space Launch System rockets that will power future Artemis flights. Teams filled the very first flight L-ring onto the Ingersol High Speed Machining Center at Michoud Jan. 18.
” Michoud is humming with activity as teams deal with numerous SLS core stages for 3 different Artemis missions in addition to the initial welds for the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) for the 4th SLS flight,” said Lonnie Dutreix, director of NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility. “Everywhere you look, you see rocket hardware that will power missions to send out the very first woman and the very first individual of color to the Moon.”
In Mississippi, at NASAs Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Aerojet Rocketdyne, the RS-25 lead contractor, has actually finished work on the RS-25 engines for the third SLS flight and is working to complete the 4 RS-25 engines that will power the fourth flight of the rocket. Aerojet Rocketdyne is likewise preparing for a series of RS-25 engine tests for engines that will be used starting with Artemis V.
All of the booster motors for the two solid rocket boosters on the SLS rocket for Artemis II are total and will be readied for delivery from Northrop Grummans facilities in Utah to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida later on this year. Credit: Northrop Grumman
The ICPS, powered by a single RL10 engine, provides in-space propulsion to give Orion the big push it needs to fly beyond the Moon. Currently, the stage for Artemis II remains in final assembly in the Horizontal Integration Facility at the specialists Boeing and United Launch Alliances (ULA) facilities in Florida. ULA is covering up producing operations on the ICPS for Artemis III in its center in Decatur, Alabama, where it will go through a high-pressure test inspect this spring.
Engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are in the procedure of configuring the Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL) to the flight software and avionics configuration to support Artemis II flight software application development. The flight software, which acts as the “brains” of the Space Launch System rocket and controls it in flight, is set to begin testing this year. Credit: NASA/ Sam Lott
The two five-segment strong rocket boosters offer more than 75% of the thrust at launch for SLS and are produced by lead booster specialist Northrop Grumman. All 10 booster motor sectors for both Artemis II and Artemis III are finished and awaiting delivery to Kennedy, where deal with the forward and aft assemblies is currently in progress. The booster manufacturing for the Artemis IV mission is underway at the Northrop Grumman facility in Utah.
With the Artemis II LVSA complete, groups are focusing efforts on the LVSA for Artemis III. The OSAs for Artemis II and III have finished painting and are being prepared for final hardware setup.
An expanded view of the Block IB setup of NASAs Space Launch System rocket, including the 4 RL10 engines. Credit: NASA
Beginning with the Block 1B setup (see image above), the interim cryogenic propulsion phase, launch lorry stage adapter, and Orion phase adapter are changed by the Exploration Upper Stage and interstage, that includes the universal phase adapter (USA). Dynetics and Beyond Gravity, the prime specialists for the adapter, are settling a full-scale presentation test article of the USA at facilities in Decatur, Alabama.
NASAs Artemis program will attain numerous turning points, including landing the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface and establishing a long-lasting lunar expedition strategy as preparation for human missions to Mars. NASAs Orion spacecraft, SLS, the human landing system, and the Gateway in lunar orbit constitute the foundation for deep area expedition.
This artists rendering shows a birds-eye view of the liftoff of NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This Block 1 team configuration of the rocket will send out the first three Artemis objectives to the Moon. Credit: NASA/MSFC
NASA and its partners throughout the country are continuing to make progress on the crewed Artemis objectives with hardware for NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rockets for Artemis II, III, and IV already in different phases of production, screening, and assembly.
SLS proved to be the worlds most effective rocket, when its 2 strong rocket boosters and four RS-25 engines produced more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff to send NASAs Orion spacecraft beyond the Moon and back on Artemis I. Data from the first flight of SLS is assisting engineers construct self-confidence in the rockets systems to securely fly crew on future lunar objectives.
The engine section, right, is the last significant structure that comprises the core phase of NASAs Space Launch System rocket that will assist power the Artemis II mission. Teams at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans will quickly move the engine section to another part of the center, turn it to a horizontal position, and then incorporate it to the rest of the rocket phase to join all 5 aspects together. Credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon
” The power that NASAs Space Launch System rocket supplies will enable astronauts to explore farther in our planetary system than ever before and find more about the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” stated John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “NASA is on the brink of new age of deep area discovery, and the SLS team and our partners are more focused than ever to produce and make SLS rockets for Artemis missions that will put boots on the Moon for years to come.”
The engine area, right, is the last major structure that makes up the core phase of NASAs Space Launch System rocket that will help power the Artemis II objective. Service technicians are all at once preparing for core stage assembly and outfitting activities for the Artemis III Moon rocket– the engine area for Artemis III was delivered to Kennedy in December 2022. Aerojet Rocketdyne is also preparing for a series of RS-25 engine tests for engines that will be utilized beginning with Artemis V.
All of the booster motors for the two solid rocket boosters on the SLS rocket for Artemis II are complete and will be readied for shipment delivery Northrop Grummans facilities centers Utah to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this year. All 10 booster motor sections for both Artemis II and Artemis III are finished and awaiting delivery to Kennedy, where work on the forward and aft assemblies is currently in progress. With the Artemis II LVSA complete, teams are focusing efforts on the LVSA for Artemis III.
