![]() All three programs are managed by the Exploration Systems Development Division within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.Two years removed from the Columbia disaster, the June 2005 issue of Popular Mechanics investigated a growing sentiment that the space shuttle needed to be retired. The SLS Program, managed by Marshall, works closely with the Orion Program, managed by NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program, managed at Kennedy. and at every NASA center supporting the development of the world’s most powerful rocket. SLS is America’s rocket with more than 1,100 companies from across the U.S. Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed manufacturing and testing of several engines. NASA completed the critical design review for the EUS in 2019. With the EUS, NASA can use a Block 1B crew configuration to send Orion, astronauts, and payloads to deep space or use a Block 1B cargo configuration to send large cargoes to the Moon, Mars, or more distant destinations. of thrust will allow more than 38 t (83,700 lbs.) for Block 1B crew and more than 42 t (92,500 lbs.) for Block 1B cargo to be sent to the Moon. The Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) is powered by four RL10C-3 engines that produce almost four times more thrust than the one RL10B-2 engine that powers the ICPS. Some parts of the rocket are new and other parts have been upgraded with modern features that meet the needs of deep space missions, which require higher launch vehicle performance levels. To reduce cost and development time, NASA is upgrading proven hardware from the space shuttle and other exploration programs while making use of cutting-edge tooling and manufacturing technology. NASA is building the rockets needed for several missions. These missions pave the way for landing astronauts on the Moon. The Artemis II mission will send astronauts on a flight to orbit the Moon. This mission will demonstrate the integrated system performance of SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems prior to a crewed flight. of maximum thrust, 15 percent more thrust than the Saturn V rocket.įor Artemis I, Block 1 will launch an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to an orbit 40,000 miles beyond the Moon, or 280,000 miles from Earth. During launch and ascent, SLS will produce 8.8 million lbs. An evolvable design provides the nation with a rocket able to pioneer new human and robotic spaceflight missions.Īrtemis I, the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion, uses the Block 1 configuration, which stands 322 feet, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and weighs 5.75 million lbs. SLS Block 2 will be designed to lift more than 46 t (101,400 lbs.) to deep space. ![]() of thrust and will be the workhorse vehicle for sending cargo to the Moon, Mars, and other deep space destinations. The next SLS configuration, Block 2, will provide 9.5 million lbs. Launching with cargo only, SLS has a large volume payload fairing to send larger exploration systems to the Moon and Mars or for science spacecraft on solar system exploration missions. The Block 1B crew vehicle can send 38 t (83,700 lbs.) to deep space including Orion and its crew. The Block 1B vehicle can, in a single launch, carry the Orion crew vehicle along with large cargos for exploration systems needed to support a sustained presence on the Moon. The first three Artemis missions will use a Block 1 rocket with an ICPS.īlock 1B crew vehicle will use a new, more powerful Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) to enable more ambitious missions. After reaching space, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS ) sends Orion on to the Moon. It will be powered by twin five-segment solid rocket boosters and four RS-25 liquid propellant engines. The first SLS vehicle, called Block 1, can send more than 27 metric tons (t) or 59,500 pounds (lbs.) to orbits beyond the Moon. The high-performance rocket will provide the power to help Orion reach a speed of 24,500 miles per hour-the speed needed to send it to the Moon.Įvery SLS configuration uses the core stage with four RS-25 engines. SLS is designed for deep space missions and will send Orion or other cargo to the Moon, which is nearly 1,000 times farther than where NASA’s International Space Station resides in low-Earth orbit. To fulfill America’s future needs for deep space missions, SLS will evolve into increasingly more powerful configurations. The Power to Explore Beyond Earth’s Orbit Engineers and industry partners are making progress toward delivering rockets for the next several Artemis missions. The SLS team has delivered and is preparing for the Artemis I mission, NASA’s first exploration-class rocket built for human space travel since the Saturn V.
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