The construction of the rocket – in charge of Boeing – has not yet been completed, but the nucleus is already finished and will undergo thorough evaluations.
The “mega-rocket” SLS, the most powerful that NASA has built so far, is one step closer to leaving space for the first time.
The first part of the core left the factory in New Orleans to undergo crucial tests and prepare for launch.
The Space Launch System (SLS) is a critical part of the Artemis program of the US space agency, whose goal is to bring humans back to the Moon by 2024.
This core is the centerpiece of the new rocket and will undergo thorough assessments in the state of Mississippi, in the southeastern United States.
On Wednesday, he rode a barge that will take him to his destination.
The rocket, which will be taller than a 30-story building, is being built for NASA by Boeing.
Jim Morhard, deputy administrator of NASA, attended the deployment of the rocket core on Wednesday at the Michoud assembly center, where it was built.
Morhard said it represented “an exciting leap forward in the Artemis program, as NASA teams continue to move towards the launch pad.”
Testing
The program, which was announced in 2010, has been affected by delays and cost overruns.
Some in the space community believe it would be better to launch deep space missions on commercial rockets. But supporters of the program say NASA needs its own heavy-duty launch capability.
After leaving the Michoud assembly center, on Wednesday, the core was mounted on NASA’s Pegasus barge to travel by water to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
The test stage in Stennis, called “Green Run”, will involve operating all the kernel systems simultaneously for the first time.
The four powerful RS-25 engines will be activated for about eight minutes (or maybe a little less) and will be accelerated in different configurations. NASA will mimic the necessary thrust levels during launch.
The core of the SLS contains two propellant tanks: one for storing liquid oxygen and one for liquid hydrogen. Together, they have a combination of 2.7 million liters of propellant for engines.