Quote from: Conexion Espacial on 12/06/2022 09:56 pmQuoteNASA Advances Artemis Moon Rocket Production for Future Missions[...]Do I even ... understand this correctly? They currently have an up-and-running core stage assembly line in Michoud, and the plan is to start taking sub-assemblies off that line and ship them to Kennedy, where (presumably duplicate) tooling will be used for final assembly? And this is better somehow?
QuoteNASA Advances Artemis Moon Rocket Production for Future Missions[...]
NASA Advances Artemis Moon Rocket Production for Future Missions[...]
QuoteNASA Advances Artemis Moon Rocket Production for Future MissionsAs the SLS program transitions from rocket development efforts to operations, NASA and Boeing evaluated how to improve upon the time required to produce each core stage and best use space at Michoud. “We’re making progress developing, manufacturing, and assembling elements for future Artemis missions,” said Jim Free, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. “Our collective workforce across NASA centers and industry partners plays a key role in accomplishing NASA’s long-term plans for exploring the Moon.”Beginning with production for Artemis III, NASA and Boeing will use Michoud, where the SLS core stages are currently manufactured, to produce and outfit the core stage elements, and available space at Kennedy for final assembly and integration. This opportunity provides for multiple mission elements to be manufactured and outfitted at the same time and for the workforce at Michoud to begin building the rocket’s exploration upper stage, which will enable SLS to send even heavier and larger cargo to the Moon on the same missions with astronauts beginning with Artemis IV.All five major core stage structures will be manufactured at Michoud using current robotic welding tools and fixtures and complete all thermal protection system spray applications at Michoud. There, the forward skirt, the intertank, liquid oxygen tank, and the liquid hydrogen will continue to be outfitted and joined to form the upper part of the core stage. Upon completion, these structures, which comprise the top four-fifths of the 212-foot-tall stage, will be shipped to Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where they will be joined and vertically integrated in High Bay 2.Once the engine section structure is manufactured, it will be transported to Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility for outfitting in the facility. When the engine section is completely outfitted, it and the stage’s four RS-25 engines will be moved to the VAB’s High Bay 2 for integration with the rest of the core stage, where technicians can more easily move it for stacking and assembly operations.Four of five major core stage parts for Artemis II have been joined, and teams are outfitting the last part, the engine section, and will soon connect it and the RS-25 engines to complete the stage at Michoud. The Artemis II stage is scheduled to be completed and delivered to Kennedy in 2023. The engine section for the Artemis III SLS core stage is expected to arrive at Kennedy in mid-December.With Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface and establish long-term exploration at the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/nasa-advances-artemis-moon-rocket-production-for-future-missions.html
NASA Advances Artemis Moon Rocket Production for Future MissionsAs the SLS program transitions from rocket development efforts to operations, NASA and Boeing evaluated how to improve upon the time required to produce each core stage and best use space at Michoud. “We’re making progress developing, manufacturing, and assembling elements for future Artemis missions,” said Jim Free, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. “Our collective workforce across NASA centers and industry partners plays a key role in accomplishing NASA’s long-term plans for exploring the Moon.”Beginning with production for Artemis III, NASA and Boeing will use Michoud, where the SLS core stages are currently manufactured, to produce and outfit the core stage elements, and available space at Kennedy for final assembly and integration. This opportunity provides for multiple mission elements to be manufactured and outfitted at the same time and for the workforce at Michoud to begin building the rocket’s exploration upper stage, which will enable SLS to send even heavier and larger cargo to the Moon on the same missions with astronauts beginning with Artemis IV.All five major core stage structures will be manufactured at Michoud using current robotic welding tools and fixtures and complete all thermal protection system spray applications at Michoud. There, the forward skirt, the intertank, liquid oxygen tank, and the liquid hydrogen will continue to be outfitted and joined to form the upper part of the core stage. Upon completion, these structures, which comprise the top four-fifths of the 212-foot-tall stage, will be shipped to Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where they will be joined and vertically integrated in High Bay 2.Once the engine section structure is manufactured, it will be transported to Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility for outfitting in the facility. When the engine section is completely outfitted, it and the stage’s four RS-25 engines will be moved to the VAB’s High Bay 2 for integration with the rest of the core stage, where technicians can more easily move it for stacking and assembly operations.Four of five major core stage parts for Artemis II have been joined, and teams are outfitting the last part, the engine section, and will soon connect it and the RS-25 engines to complete the stage at Michoud. The Artemis II stage is scheduled to be completed and delivered to Kennedy in 2023. The engine section for the Artemis III SLS core stage is expected to arrive at Kennedy in mid-December.With Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface and establish long-term exploration at the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/nasa-advances-artemis-moon-rocket-production-for-future-missions.html
Dec 9, 2022RELEASE 22-130NASA Commits to Future Artemis Moon Rocket ProductionNASA has finalized its contract with Boeing of Huntsville, Alabama, for approximately $3.2 billion to continue manufacturing core and upper stages for future Space Launch System (SLS) rockets for Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.Under the SLS Stages Production and Evolution Contract action, Boeing will produce SLS core stages for Artemis III and IV, procure critical and long-lead material for the core stages for Artemis V and VI, provide the exploration upper stages (EUS) for Artemis V and VI, as well as tooling and related support and engineering services.In October 2019, NASA provided initial funding and authorization for Artemis III core stage work and targeted long-lead materials and cost-efficient bulk purchases. The finalization of this contract extends production activities and preparations for future work through July 2028. As part of the contract NASA may order up to 10 core stages and eight exploration upper stages total to support future deep space exploration missions.“NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is the only rocket capable of sending large cargos and soon, astronauts to the Moon,” said John Honeycutt, SLS Program manager. “The SLS core stage is the backbone of NASA’s Moon rocket, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust at launch, and the addition of the exploration upper stage will enable NASA to support missions to deep space through the 2030s.”The SLS rocket delivers propulsion in stages and is designed to evolve to more advanced configurations to power NASA’s deep space missions. Each SLS rocket configuration uses the same 212-foot-tall core stage to produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help propel the mega rocket off the launch pad.For the first three Artemis missions, SLS uses an interim cryogenic propulsion stage with one RL10 engine to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the Moon. Beginning with Artemis IV, the SLS Block 1B rocket configuration will be propelled by the more powerful EUS with larger fuel tanks and four RL10 engines to send a crewed Orion and large cargos to the Moon. All the structures for the rocket’s core stage and EUS are manufactured at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The contract comes as NASA optimizes manufacturing capabilities as Boeing will use Kennedy Space Center in Florida to perform some core stage assembly and outfitting activities beginning with the Artemis III rocket. In tandem, teams will continue all core stage manufacturing activities at Michoud.Teams continue to make progress assembling and manufacturing core stages for Artemis II, III, and IV. The Artemis II stage is scheduled to be completed and delivered to Kennedy in 2023. The engine section for Artemis III was recently loaded onto NASA’s Pegasus barge for delivery to Kennedy, where it will be outfitted and later integrated with the rest of the rocket.With Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface and establish long-term exploration at the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.For more information about the Space Launch System, visit:https://www.nasa.gov/sls-end-
NASA and Space Launch System stages prime contractor Boeing are in various states of production on core stages for future Artemis missions. Together with its twin solid rocket boosters, the Space Launch System core stage will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon. A powerful upper stage will be incorporated into the rocket beginning with Artemis IV. NASA joined the Space Launch System rocket’s core stage forward assembly, seen here, with the 130-foot liquid hydrogen tank in March 2022.Credits: NASA/Eric Bordelon
To increase launch cadence and reduce costs, Boeing is moving SLS engine section work and final core stage assembly to the Kennedy Space Center, freeing space at Michoud for Exploration Upper Stage production.Feature article by Philip Sloss:
Sep 19, 2023Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, completed a subscale booster motor test Sept. 14 in Marshall’s East Test Area. The 24-inch booster produced more than 82,000 pounds of thrust. It is the third test in an ongoing series supporting development of an upgraded booster design with alternative nozzle and insulation materials for SLS (Space Launch System) flights after Artemis VIII. Marshall manages the SLS Program.
