Tag Archives: SLS

The Government Accountability Office has recommended that NASA come up a document stating its rationale for how it selected its lunar architecture and lunar programs and develop a cost estimate for the moon landing mission in 2024.

Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator, has announced the completion of the core stage that would support the first Artemis mission's launch, Space News reported Tuesday. The space agency's Michoud Assembly Facility is ready to send out the Space Launch System rocket's core stage by this year's end, ahead of the launch scheduled for 2021.

Doug Loverro, NASA's associate administrator for human exploration and operations, said the space agency essentially requires the Space Launch System to pursue the manned lunar mission planned for 2024, Space News reported Wednesday. Loverro made this statement with Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator, against criticisms on SLS' high sustainment costs compared to those of commercial launch vehicles.

NASA has officially opened one of the three permanent ground stations of the Near Earth Network’s Launch Communications Segment that will provide services to support future space explorations including the Artemis moon landing mission. 

The space agency said Wednesday the Kennedy Uplink Station, located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will work with companion ground stations Ponce De Leon and Bermuda to facilitate communications for Artemis launch missions. 

NASA, along with teams from Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne, completed integration of RS-25 engines with the core stage of the agency’s Space Launch System ahead of the Artemis I mission to the moon.

NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility has connected the first RS-25 engine to the core stage of a rocket that will support lunar missions with the Orion spacecraft.

Engineers docked one of four RS-25 engines to the Space Launch System's core stage as part of a collaborative effort with Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne, the space agency said Wednesday.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center has accepted delivery of hardware that would help personnel prepare for the Space Launch System's first Moon mission with the Orion spacecraft. The space agency said Saturday it will use the core stage pathfinder to train lift crews in handling hardware of the SLS rocket. Pathfinders are full-scale mock-up models that have the shape and size of their corresponding SLS components.

The Senate Appropriations’ commerce, justice and science subcommittee passed a spending bill that would authorize $22.75 billion in fiscal year 2020 funds for NASA, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.

NASA has connected the five main components of the Space Launch System launch vehicle's core stage in preparation for a flight to the moon in 2024. The space agency said Friday that it conjoined the last sections of the core stage on Thursday at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

The Government Accountability Office has assessed the scheduling of NASA’s efforts to manage major human space exploration systems. GAO said Wednesday that it's looking into the space agency’s development activities of the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System rocket and Exploration Ground Systems.