Artemis II Core Stage Moves to High Bay 2
December 16, 2024 – The core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis II mission has been moved to High Bay 2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The core stage is the largest and most powerful part of the SLS, and it will provide the thrust to launch the Orion spacecraft and its crew on their journey to the Moon.
The move to High Bay 2 is a major milestone in the Artemis II mission. It brings the core stage one step closer to being integrated with the rest of the rocket, and it also allows NASA to begin final preparations for the launch.
The core stage is made up of four RS-25 engines, two solid rocket boosters, and a liquid hydrogen tank. It is 212 feet tall and weighs 2.6 million pounds. The RS-25 engines are the same engines that were used on the Space Shuttle, and they are capable of producing 512,000 pounds of thrust each.
The solid rocket boosters are provided by Northrop Grumman, and they each produce 3.6 million pounds of thrust. The liquid hydrogen tank is provided by Boeing, and it holds the fuel that powers the RS-25 engines.
The core stage was built at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was then transported to Kennedy Space Center by barge. The move to High Bay 2 was accomplished using a transporter crawler, which is a massive vehicle that is used to move large objects around the Kennedy Space Center.
In High Bay 2, the core stage will be integrated with the rest of the SLS rocket. This includes the Orion spacecraft, the launch abort system, and the solid rocket boosters. The integration process is expected to take several months.
Once the integration process is complete, the SLS rocket will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center. The launch of the Artemis II mission is scheduled for May 2024.
The Artemis II mission is the second mission in the Artemis program. The first mission, Artemis I, is scheduled to launch in 2022. The Artemis program is NASA’s plan to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence there.
Artemis II Core Stage Moves to High Bay 2
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