The forward skirt for #Artemis IV's @NASA_SLS rocket is moving on to the next stage of production at #NASAMichoud . 🚀The hardware houses flight computers, cameras, and avionics systems for the SLS rocket.Learn more HERE>> https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html
Considering that ML2 had been significantly delayed what are the chances that this rocket will be completed years ahead of time and just sit dormant in a warehouse to gather dust? Do they have a shelf life before it needs a deep teardown for inspection?
Quote from: cplchanb on 10/12/2022 03:19 pmConsidering that ML2 had been significantly delayed what are the chances that this rocket will be completed years ahead of time and just sit dormant in a warehouse to gather dust? Do they have a shelf life before it needs a deep teardown for inspection?Based on Artemis 1, the bigger concern may stacking the Artemis-IV SRBs too early before a bona fide launch window can be set.
You would have to completely ditch the VAB and crawlers to do a TEL. It's not a simple matter.
Quote from: cplchanb on 10/12/2022 03:19 pmConsidering that ML2 had been significantly delayed what are the chances that this rocket will be completed years ahead of time and just sit dormant in a warehouse to gather dust? Do they have a shelf life before it needs a deep teardown for inspection?I think the rocket was stacked on the mobile launcher. The pieces may sit in a warehouse, but the mobile launcher must be complete before they can actually build (stack) the rocket. In effect, it's already in a "deep teardown" state until it begins stacking.
Quote from: jadebenn on 11/22/2022 02:53 amYou would have to completely ditch the VAB and crawlers to do a TEL. It's not a simple matter.The Mobile Launcher used for the SLS is indeed the slowest-ever mobile launch platform for an SLV, reaching a top speed of 1 mile per hour. The unsuccessful N1 rocket was transported to its launch pad by a railroad-based vehicle.
Quote from: DanClemmensen on 11/22/2022 03:36 amQuote from: cplchanb on 10/12/2022 03:19 pmConsidering that ML2 had been significantly delayed what are the chances that this rocket will be completed years ahead of time and just sit dormant in a warehouse to gather dust? Do they have a shelf life before it needs a deep teardown for inspection?I think the rocket was stacked on the mobile launcher. The pieces may sit in a warehouse, but the mobile launcher must be complete before they can actually build (stack) the rocket. In effect, it's already in a "deep teardown" state until it begins stacking.The Artemis IV mission, as I've explained already in this thread, is a long way off in terms of a tentative launch window, so I agree that the ML-2 may have to be either completed or redesigned with wheels rather than caterpillar tracks.
Quote from: Vahe231991 on 11/22/2022 02:34 pmQuote from: DanClemmensen on 11/22/2022 03:36 amQuote from: cplchanb on 10/12/2022 03:19 pmConsidering that ML2 had been significantly delayed what are the chances that this rocket will be completed years ahead of time and just sit dormant in a warehouse to gather dust? Do they have a shelf life before it needs a deep teardown for inspection?I think the rocket was stacked on the mobile launcher. The pieces may sit in a warehouse, but the mobile launcher must be complete before they can actually build (stack) the rocket. In effect, it's already in a "deep teardown" state until it begins stacking.The Artemis IV mission, as I've explained already in this thread, is a long way off in terms of a tentative launch window, so I agree that the ML-2 may have to be either completed or redesigned with wheels rather than caterpillar tracks.emphasis mineWhat other choice is there? Dan is stating that the ML must be completed before ANY stacking ops can begin. You are the only person I've read about thinking a TE(Transporter Erector) is a viable solution over Crawler Transporter(CT).
The Artemis 4 schedule will also depend on the readiness of the I-Hab module, being developed by Europe and Japan, and the SLS Block 1B itself.
Transport time!🚚The pressure vessel for #Artemis IV is ready to ship from Michoud Assembly Facility to @NASAKennedy, where it will become the third Orion spacecraft to carry crew to the Moon
Quote from: NASA OrionTransport time!🚚The pressure vessel for #Artemis IV is ready to ship from Michoud Assembly Facility to @NASAKennedy, where it will become the third Orion spacecraft to carry crew to the Moonhttps://twitter.com/NASA_Orion/status/1623436225360318465
Quote from: yg1968 on 02/10/2023 02:38 amQuote from: NASA OrionTransport time!🚚The pressure vessel for #Artemis IV is ready to ship from Michoud Assembly Facility to @NASAKennedy, where it will become the third Orion spacecraft to carry crew to the Moonhttps://twitter.com/NASA_Orion/status/1623436225360318465Wow. Surprising to see the pressure vessel for the Orion spacecraft earmarked for Artemis IV getting ready for shipment to Kennedy Space Center regardless of that mission being a long way off.
Just goes to show that if they really wanted to they could speed up construction significantly. Most of the delays is all due to mismanagement, funding and bureaucratic red tape
Quote from: cplchanb on 02/12/2023 01:44 pmJust goes to show that if they really wanted to they could speed up construction significantly. Most of the delays is all due to mismanagement, funding and bureaucratic red tapewrong on two of those items
#Artemis IV @NASA_Orion crew module pressure vessel arrives at @NASA_Kennedy. Our spacecraft factory is in full swing with 3 Orion vehicles being prepared to carry humans to the Moon.
Development, integration, and operation of NASA space flight systems will become more complex and expensive beginning with the fourth #Artemis mission. Today we are announcing an audit examining NASA’s management of these missions beginning with Artemis IV.
NASA_SLS@NASA_SLSThe universal stage adapter will debut during #Artemis IV and will connect @NASA_Orion to the exploration upper stage on future SLS rockets in the Block 1B configuration.Read more about the test version of the adapter that was recently moved>>https://go.nasa.gov/4cc785I
Apr 16, 2024 #Artemis #NASA #SLSTeams at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, completed a new payload adapter test article and readied it for structural testing, set to begin later this spring. This marks a critical milestone on the journey to the hardware’s debut on the upgraded Block 1B configuration of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with Artemis IV. The composite payload adapter is an evolution from the Orion stage adapter used in the Block 1 configuration of the first three Artemis missions.
Sep 8, 2024The arrival this past week of new Orion and SLS flight hardware at Kennedy Space Center for Artemis II, III, and IV is a reminder of the uncertain launch schedule. This video covers those deliveries, of the Artemis II SLS Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter, Artemis II Orion European Service Module, and SLS Core Stage engine section hardware for Artemis III and IV.Artemis II is scheduled for launch only one year from this month, and most of the SLS hardware for Artemis II is now in and around the Vehicle Assembly Building. In this video, we also cover plans and preparations for the launch campaign in the second part of an interview with Exploration Ground Systems senior vehicle operations manager Cliff Lanham.Meanwhile, the next milestones for that newly-delivery hardware are known in general, but when those and other Artemis III milestones will happen is harder to see. We go over the cloudy forecast and other Artemis III takeaways from the late August NASA Advisory Council meeting here, too.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.00:00 Intro02:13 A week of Orion and SLS flight hardware deliveries to KSC03:00 ESM-3 arrives in Orion final assembly at KSC04:21 Core Stage engine section hardware packaged for shipment at MAF06:45 Offloading SLS triple shipment from Pegasus at KSC09:12 EGS senior manager Cliff Lanham talks to the podcast about Artemis II launch plans10:13 Improving launch availability with contingency pad access capability18:36 Artemis II pad flow from rollout to launch20:35 Integrating the astronaut crew ingress of Orion into the launch countdown24:05 Artemis III takeaways from NASA Exploration public report in NASA Advisory Council meeting25:12 "At least" one uncrewed HLS lunar landing demonstration?25:53 Outlook for the future remains cloudy only two years from Artemis III launch date27:55 Thanks for watching!Chapters
This image shows teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lifting a forward skirt out of its vertical assembly center on Jan. 31, 2025. The forward skirt, which will be used on the core stage for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for its Artemis IV mission, houses flight computers, cameras, and avionics. While inside the vertical assembly center, technicians attached the forward skirt’s forward and aft rings, which serve as attachments points to the launch vehicle stage adapter and the liquid oxygen tank, respectively.
Project SummarySLS Block 1B is operating within the original cost and schedule baselines approved by NASA in December 2023. These baselines include a committed design certification review in January 2028, ahead of the planned Artemis IV mission in September 2028, and a life-cycle cost of approximately $4.9 billion.According to NASA officials, the program is encountering difficulties manufacturing both the EUS and core stage needed for Artemis IV. Program officials attributed these problems to several issues, including delays to earlier Artemis flights and delayed deliveries of parts and materials.The SLS program completed manufacturing of some flight hardware for Artemis IV, including the engines for both the core stage and the EUS. However, development of the facilities needed to test and qualify the integrated SLS Block 1B software and avionics remains a top program risk. Continued challenges could delay qualification testing, the design certification review, and the Artemis IV launch date.
Program office officials stated that they and Boeing, the prime contractor for SLS Block 1B, are actively engaging with subcontractors and parts suppliers and increasing their presence at the supplier facilities.As of February 2025, the program had no margin between the planned contractor delivery dates for the EUS and core stage and the date that Exploration Ground Systems needs these elements to support Artemis IV. NASA officials stated that ongoing manufacturing issues with the SLS core stage for Artemis III and Artemis IV are likely to become the activities that drive the Artemis IV schedule.
A top program risk is the development of the EUS System Integration and Test Facility-Qualification (SITF-Q) needed to test and qualify the integrated SLS Block 1B software and avionics. The EUS SITF-Q is a complex facility and as of January 2025, delayed deliveries of wiring harnesses and avionics components, as well as component redesigns, were impacting its development schedule. There is a risk that continued late deliveries could delay qualification testing, the design certification review, and the Artemis IV launch date. Officials reported that Boeing developed and implemented a 5-phased Build and Checkout Plan that was completed in April 2025, demonstrating technical and schedule progress and risk burn down.
The SLS program has completed manufacturing of some flight hardware for Artemis IV, but development continues for new hardware needed for SLS Block 1B. The four RS25 engines required for the core stage and four RL-10 engines required for EUS are complete and in storage. The program has also completed casting of the 10 solid rocket booster segments. Development continues on capability upgrades required for SLS Block 1B. For example, the universal stage adapter and the payload adaptor, which attach the Orion vehicle to the EUS, are undergoing structural testing.Since June 2024, the SLS program successfully completed developmental testing of the Autonomous Flight Safety System in a pod mounted to an airplane. This system will autonomously terminate the SLS Block 1B’s flight, if necessary, to protect the public. The results of these tests will inform the design of the SLS program’s Autonomous Flight Safety System.
The Space Launch System (SLS), Orion and Exploration Ground System (EGS) government programs government programs will be retired after Artemis III. The request supports the transition to commercial transportation services for the Artemis IV mission and beyond, improving the cost effectiveness and cadence of access to the Moon and fostering innovation and supporting U.S. industry leadership in human space exploration.
This budget funds the close-out of the Block 1B upgrade. NASA proposes to use unobligated balances previously appropriated to support the termination of these activities, including, but not limited to, ongoing administration, oversight, monitoring, and funding of procurements previously awarded by the SLS Program.
$4,100,000,000 for expenses related to meeting the requirements of section 10812 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2022 (51 U.S.C. 20301; Public Law 117-167) for the procurement, transportation, integration, operation, and other necessary expenses of the Space Launch System for Artemis Missions IV and V, of which not less than $1,025,000,000 shall be obligated for each of fiscal years 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029.
At 6.10 of this video... on the left of Arty-2 LOX tank.Is this Arty-4 LOX tank welding? Interstage?https://images.nasa.gov/details/MAF_20250822_CS3%20LOX%20Break-over_Cell%20A
Fourth Liquid Hydrogen Tank for NASA’s Space Launch System Rocket AssembledTeams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank off the vertical assembly center on Nov. 14. This is the fourth liquid hydrogen tank manufactured at the facility for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The completed tank will be loaded into a production cell for technicians to remove the lift tool, perform dimensional scans, and then install brackets, which will allow the move crew to break the tank over from a vertical to a horizontal configuration.
Derek Newsome@DerekdotSpaceThe fourth SLS rocket and first Block 1B is coming together at Michoud!Core Stage 4 has begun its welding and outfitting process, with the massive LH2 tank moving out of the VAC and into a production cell for inspection and bracket installation.
Elisar Priel@ENNEPSNASA has conducted a test of RS-25 engine No. 2063 at the Fred Haise Test Stand at the Stennis Space Center as part of the preparations for future Artemis flights with the SLS.Test duration was five minutes (300 seconds) with a maximum 109% power level.
The requirement for the study of the modification to the VAB for SLS Block 1B Crew, Phase 3 at KSC, NASA. Requires an A&E firm with the specialized expertise to design the platforms to be installed, a key component of the overall construction work. Additionally, involved in the evaluation of integrated models for the existing level B2 and C platforms, which are part of ongoing work to be designed and constructed for the Artemis IV launch. Merrick is the only A&E firm with the expertise to provide engineering services during construction of these new platforms and insert structures.
NASA Marks Milestone in Preparation for Artemis IV TestingFeb 11, 2026Water flowing out. Data flowing in.A water system activation at the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2) on Jan. 30 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, helped capture critical data to support testing a new SLS (Space Launch System) stage expected to fly on the Artemis IV mission.The activation milestone tested new cooling systems that were added for the future Green Run test series of NASA’s exploration upper stage (EUS). The more powerful upper stage is a four-engine liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen in-space stage for the evolved Block 1B version of SLS.For Green Run, teams at NASA Stennis will activate and test all systems to ensure the stage is ready to fly. It will culminate with a hot fire of the stage’s four RL10 engines, just as during an actual mission.As part of the test stand modification, crews have added water-cooled diffusers to act as a heat shield to manage the super-hot exhaust from all four RL10 engines; water-cooled fairings to direct engine exhaust to align with the diffuser walls; and a purge ring that supplies cooling water and gaseous nitrogen to protect a flexible seal that allows the engines to move, or gimbal, during testing.These three systems all were integrated by the NASA Stennis team with the existing flame deflector and acoustic suppression equipment used during previous core stage testing for NASA’s SLS rocket ahead of the successful Artemis I launch.The exercise also pushed the high pressure industrial water system to maximum capacity. While a typical RS-25 engine test at NASA Stennis runs a subset of the 10 diesel pumps and one electric pump, testing the exploration upper stage will require all eleven pumps running simultaneously.The 14-million gallons of water used during the exercise on Jan. 30 was recycled throughout the test complex. A 66-million-gallon reservoir feeds water to the test stand through an underground 96-inch diameter pipe, with water distributed to various cooling components. The water ultimately flows into the flame deflector, then through a concrete flume to the stand’s catch pond. When the catch pond fills up, the excess water drains back to the canal through a drainage ditch, ready to be recycled for future use.“We will use the data gathered to set the final timing of when valves are cycled, determine our redline pressures, and select the operating pressure,” said Nick Nugent, NASA Stennis project engineer. “This exercise also put the water system under a full load prior to the final stress test. It is always good to give the system a good shake down run prior.”
So in light of the Administrator’s announcement today regarding rescoping of the Artemis project, anyone have insight into what was meant about “standardizing” the vehicle second stage configuration for Artemis IV and going forward?
For the Artemis IV lunar landing mission, NASA also will need to human-rate a new upper stage for the SLS rocket. The vehicle currently uses a modified Delta IV upper stage manufactured by United Launch Alliance. But that rocket production line is closed, and NASA only has two more of these stages. With the cancellation of the Exploration Upper Stage, NASA will now procure a new stage commercially. NASA officials only said they will seek a “standardized” upper stage. As Ars has previously reported, the most likely replacement would be the Centaur V upper stage currently flying on Vulcan rockets.
Powered by four BE-3U engines, 9x4’s second stage carries 70 metric tons to low Earth orbit, 14 metric tons to Geostationary Orbit Direct, and 20 metric tons to Trans Lunar Injection. The second stage engines generate over 800,000 lbf thrust (3,558 kN), more than 100% of New Glenn 7x2 configuration.
Quote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 02:28 pmSo in light of the Administrator’s announcement today regarding rescoping of the Artemis project, anyone have insight into what was meant about “standardizing” the vehicle second stage configuration for Artemis IV and going forward?My guess is that it is their way of saying that whatever upper stage they fly on Artemis IV, will be the same from thereon out.What a concept, a rocket that doesn't change configuration after each launch...
Quote from: Coastal Ron on 02/27/2026 03:05 pmQuote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 02:28 pmSo in light of the Administrator’s announcement today regarding rescoping of the Artemis project, anyone have insight into what was meant about “standardizing” the vehicle second stage configuration for Artemis IV and going forward?My guess is that it is their way of saying that whatever upper stage they fly on Artemis IV, will be the same from thereon out.What a concept, a rocket that doesn't change configuration after each launch... Well, sure. I am just wondering/fishing for info about notional configurations for that upper stage. Some asked in the presser about hydrolox and Isaacman deflected the issue. So I wonder if they’re looking at potential methalox configurations as well. Not sure they really have a lot of options for a stage that would be needed in a 24 - 36 month timelines aside from something from Blue, to be honest. Far too late to dig J-2X out of storage for a large hydrolox stage.
Quote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 03:09 pmQuote from: Coastal Ron on 02/27/2026 03:05 pmQuote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 02:28 pmSo in light of the Administrator’s announcement today regarding rescoping of the Artemis project, anyone have insight into what was meant about “standardizing” the vehicle second stage configuration for Artemis IV and going forward?My guess is that it is their way of saying that whatever upper stage they fly on Artemis IV, will be the same from thereon out.What a concept, a rocket that doesn't change configuration after each launch... Well, sure. I am just wondering/fishing for info about notional configurations for that upper stage. Some asked in the presser about hydrolox and Isaacman deflected the issue. So I wonder if they’re looking at potential methalox configurations as well. Not sure they really have a lot of options for a stage that would be needed in a 24 - 36 month timelines aside from something from Blue, to be honest. Far too late to dig J-2X out of storage for a large hydrolox stage.ULA builds Centaur V for Vulcan. Centaur V shares a lot of ancestry with ICPS, which was built by ULA or its parents. I don't know if ULA could build More ICPSs, (probably not), but they likely could build a Centaur V variant that can do the job. With sufficiently high commonality, this would reduce the unit cost.
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/artemis-update-graphic.png
I wonder how this affects the Gateway modules that were supposed to fly on EUS, starting with Artemis-4. Centaur-V would have more performance than ICPS, but still less than EUS.
Quote from: Kasponaut on 02/27/2026 04:30 pmhttps://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/artemis-update-graphic.pngHigher resolution version.
Quote from: DanClemmensen on 02/27/2026 03:17 pmQuote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 03:09 pmQuote from: Coastal Ron on 02/27/2026 03:05 pmQuote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 02:28 pmSo in light of the Administrator’s announcement today regarding rescoping of the Artemis project, anyone have insight into what was meant about “standardizing” the vehicle second stage configuration for Artemis IV and going forward?My guess is that it is their way of saying that whatever upper stage they fly on Artemis IV, will be the same from thereon out.What a concept, a rocket that doesn't change configuration after each launch... Well, sure. I am just wondering/fishing for info about notional configurations for that upper stage. Some asked in the presser about hydrolox and Isaacman deflected the issue. So I wonder if they’re looking at potential methalox configurations as well. Not sure they really have a lot of options for a stage that would be needed in a 24 - 36 month timelines aside from something from Blue, to be honest. Far too late to dig J-2X out of storage for a large hydrolox stage.ULA builds Centaur V for Vulcan. Centaur V shares a lot of ancestry with ICPS, which was built by ULA or its parents. I don't know if ULA could build More ICPSs, (probably not), but they likely could build a Centaur V variant that can do the job. With sufficiently high commonality, this would reduce the unit cost.Is that even possible to have a new upper stage(Like the Centaur V) ready and certified for SLS by 2028?
Quote from: Brovane on 02/27/2026 05:35 pmQuote from: DanClemmensen on 02/27/2026 03:17 pmQuote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 03:09 pmQuote from: Coastal Ron on 02/27/2026 03:05 pmQuote from: Herb Schaltegger on 02/27/2026 02:28 pmSo in light of the Administrator’s announcement today regarding rescoping of the Artemis project, anyone have insight into what was meant about “standardizing” the vehicle second stage configuration for Artemis IV and going forward?My guess is that it is their way of saying that whatever upper stage they fly on Artemis IV, will be the same from thereon out.What a concept, a rocket that doesn't change configuration after each launch... Well, sure. I am just wondering/fishing for info about notional configurations for that upper stage. Some asked in the presser about hydrolox and Isaacman deflected the issue. So I wonder if they’re looking at potential methalox configurations as well. Not sure they really have a lot of options for a stage that would be needed in a 24 - 36 month timelines aside from something from Blue, to be honest. Far too late to dig J-2X out of storage for a large hydrolox stage.ULA builds Centaur V for Vulcan. Centaur V shares a lot of ancestry with ICPS, which was built by ULA or its parents. I don't know if ULA could build More ICPSs, (probably not), but they likely could build a Centaur V variant that can do the job. With sufficiently high commonality, this would reduce the unit cost.Is that even possible to have a new upper stage(Like the Centaur V) ready and certified for SLS by 2028? I have no clue. What goes into "certification"? Centaur V has high commonality with ICPS at some level, and there is a chance that Centaur V will have flown more often than ICPS by the time it is needed, since Vulcan should(?!) return to flight by November 2026 and "should" quickly reach a cadence of 20/yr or better. I realize that for certification Centaur-on-Vulcan is not the same as Centaur-on-SLS, but surely it's better than the projected ICPS or EUS flight history.
To what extent can production of CS-4 be accelerated by removing the requirement to produce EUS-1 at the same time and using much of the same tooling and workforce?
