Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne engineers and technicians installed the first RS-25 engine to the Space Launch System rocket, which will be used in the Artemis II manned mission to the Moon.
The engine is one of four units to be put in place in the core stage of SLS, two of which are new, while the other two were used in previous space shuttle flights, NASA announced Wednesday.
The installation was done at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The first engine was positioned at the top left corner of the core stage. In March, the team had integrated all five major structures of the rocket’s backbone.
Boeing and Aerojet, a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies, will proceed with adding the rest of the RS-25 engines as well as propulsion and electrical systems to the structure.
Related Articles
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order approving a proposed deal that would keep video-sharing platform TikTok operational in the U.S. while protecting national security. Engage with U.S. military leaders and top industry experts at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 GovCon International and Global Defense Summit as they tackle global defense challenges, from supply chain risks to sanctions and international regulations. Save your spot now for this Oct. 16 event to gain critical insights and connect with key decision-makers! ‘Qualified Divestiture’ of TikTok’s US Operations In a fact sheet published Thursday, the White House said TikTok’s U.S. operations would
Retired Vice Adm. Scott Pappano has been confirmed as principal deputy administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration. According to Congress records, legislators voted 51-47 to appoint Pappano. He also confirmed his new position in a LinkedIn post Thursday. Who Is Scott Pappano? President Donald Trump nominated Pappano to be principal deputy administrator for NNSA in February. Pappano is a seasoned military leader who most recently served as principal military deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. He also held leadership positions at the Special Operations Forces Mobility Program Office and the Strategic and Attack Submarine
The General Services Administration and xAI have signed an agreement to make the latter’s Grok frontier artificial intelligence models available to federal agencies through March 2027. GSA said Thursday the partnership with xAI is part of the agency’s OneGov initiative, which aims to simplify the procurement of AI tools to help accelerate federal AI adoption. The new deal is reportedly the lowest price yet for an AI offering through the partnership. “Widespread access to advanced AI models is essential to building the efficient, accountable government that taxpayers deserve—and to fulfilling President Trump’s promise that America will win the global AI