Boeing delivers second stage of SLS rocket to NASA

Boeing has delivered the second core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to NASA, designed to send the Artemis II crew to lunar orbit for the first time in 50 years.
The Boeing-built rocket stage, assembled at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, is the largest component of the Artemis II mission; measuring over 200 feet tall. After being loaded onto the Pegasus barge and transported 900 miles to NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, it will be integrated with the other rocket components inside the Vehicle Assembly building.
In 2025, the core stage’s four RS-25 engines – alongside two solid-fuelled booster rockets – will provide the necessary 8.8 million pounds of thrust to propel Artemis II into space, sending the four astronauts on their journey to orbit the Moon. It will be the first mission to launch humans around the moon since Apollo.
“Together, with NASA and our industry partners and suppliers, we are building the world’s most capable rocket and paving the way to deep space through America’s rocket factory in New Orleans,” said Dave Dutcher, vice president and programme manager for Boeing’s SLS programme.
SLS is the only rocket capable of carrying crew and large cargo to the moon and beyond in a single launch. “Its unmatched capabilities will deliver human-rated spacecraft, habitats, and science missions to the moon, Mars and beyond,” concluded Boeing.