Tag: SLS
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NASA moves to enforce early switch to EUS for SLS
NASA managers have placed a “stop work order” in relation to the human-rating of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (lCPS) for the Space Launch System (SLS). The stage, which was set to ride with a crewed flight on Exploration Mission -2 (EM-2), will be replaced by the early addition of the more powerful Exploration Upper…
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SLS engines prepare for Stennis tests – AR affordability focus for new RS-25s
RS-25 Engine 2059 – a veteran of five Shuttle missions – is scheduled to begin static fire testing at the end of February, initiating a test series on the engines that will be tasked with launching the Space Launch System (SLS). Meanwhile, Aerojet Rocketdyne explained some of the cost saving processes for the new expendable…
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NASA facilities, teams ramp up SLS flight production for 2018 maiden flight
NASA is ramping up production of hardware and flight elements for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, set to make its debut flight in 2018, as various construction and processing facilities around the U.S. turn hard-earned testing into flight products for the EM-1 (Exploration Mission 1) mission that will test most of SLS’s systems as it…
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NASA facilities, teams ramp up SLS flight production for 2018 maiden flight
NASA is ramping up production of hardware and flight elements for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, set to make its debut flight in 2018, as various construction and processing facilities around the U.S. turn hard-earned testing into flight products for the EM-1 (Exploration Mission 1) mission that will test most of SLS’s systems as it…
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KSC meeting portrays SLS as scrambling for a manifest plan
An “All-Hands” style meeting was held in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Monday, overviewing the spaceport’s current and future initiatives. During the meeting, NASA leaders admitted continuing funding issues meant the Space Launch System (SLS) is still trying to work a manifest plan, with further uncertainty portrayed as…
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New SLS test stands rise out of the ground at Marshall
Two new test stands are being constructed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, ready to “stress out” the Space Launch System (SLS). Test Stand 4697 and 4693 are both under construction, ready to receive all major elements of the monster rocket for structural testing. The 215-foot stand Test Stand 4693 is being built on the foundations…
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NASA identifies secondary payloads for SLS’s EM-1 mission
As NASA continues to progress toward the debut flight of SLS in 2018, the agency is now examining additional secondary payloads to fly on the EM-1 mission. These secondary payloads will involve Cubesats designed to investigate lunar and human biology aspects of spaceflight as well as Near Earth Asteroid reconnaissance. EM-1 secondary payloads: A major…
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VAB receiving fire suppression system upgrades
Kennedy Space Center’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is continuing its preparations to host the Space Launch System (SLS) and commercial rockets, with modifications from the ground up. The revamp includes a modernization of its inner workings, including the fire suppression system – a key safety element for the massive building. VAB Fire Suppression: Ensuring…
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Road to EM-1: NASA outlines hardware milestones to SLS debut flight
With approximately three years to go before the inaugural flight of the Space Launch System rocket, NASA has developed the integrated mission milestone processing flow for the EM-1 flight. The flow, which outlines all the necessary hardware processing milestones to a 2018 inaugural flight of SLS, helps solidify SLS’s path toward launch, including the pad processing timeline once the first…
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NASA makes great strides as SLS milestones converge for debut flight
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is progressing through several critical construction milestones in the final part of 2015. As various aspects of the SLS Program converge, the massive Heavily Lift Rocket is making impressive strides toward a debut flight in November 2018. Status of SLS build operations: Around the country, numerous elements of the SLS Program…