Artemis II Astronauts View SLS Core Stage at Michoud

Nov 17, 2023

Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch of NASA, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen see the core phase for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at the company’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Nov. 16. The 3 astronauts, together with NASA’s Victor Glover, will introduce atop the rocket phase to endeavor around the Moon on Artemis IIthe very first crewed flight for Artemis.

The SLScore phasetowering at 212 feet, is the foundation of the Moon rocket and consists of 2 enormous propellant tanks that jointly hold 733,000 gallons of propellant to assist power the phase’s 4 RS-25 engines. NASA, Boeing, the core phase lead professional, in addition to Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies business and the RS-25 engines lead specialist, remain in the middle of performing last incorporated screening on the completely put together rocket phase. At launch and throughout climb to area, the Artemis astronauts inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft will feel the power of the rocket’s 4 RS-25 engines producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust for a complete 8 minutes. The mega rocket’s twin strong rocket boosters, which flank either side of the core phase, will each include an extra 3.6 million pounds of thrust for 2 minutes.

The astronauts’ check out to Michoud accompanied the very first anniversary of the launch of Artemis I. The uncrewed flight test of SLS and Orion was the very first in a series of significantly complicated objectives for Artemis as the company works to return people to the lunar surface area and establish a long-lasting existence there for discovery and expedition.

NASA is working to land the very first lady and very first individual of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS becomes part of NASA’s foundation for deep area expedition, together with the Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and business human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send out Orion, astronauts, and materials to the Moon in a single objective.

News Media Contact

Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov