{"id":18896,"date":"2017-06-29T23:39:34","date_gmt":"2017-06-29T15:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/systima-gets-a-piece-of-the-action-for-nasas-space-launch-system-rocket\/"},"modified":"2017-06-29T23:39:34","modified_gmt":"2017-06-29T15:39:34","slug":"systima-gets-a-piece-of-the-action-for-nasas-space-launch-system-rocket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/systima-gets-a-piece-of-the-action-for-nasas-space-launch-system-rocket\/","title":{"rendered":"Systima gets a piece of the action for NASA\u2019s Space Launch System rocket"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Space
An artist\u2019s conception shows NASA\u2019s Space Launch System in flight. (NASA Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When NASA\u2019s heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket starts carrying astronauts beyond Earth orbit in the 2020s, it\u2019ll also be carrying a key component built by Kirkland, Wash.-based Systima Technologies.<\/p>\n

Systima will be responsible for providing a 27.6-foot-wide, ring-shaped joint assembly that separates the rocket\u2019s universal stage adapter from its upper stage. The assembly will allow for the deployment of cargo and secondary payloads from the SLS once it rises into orbit.<\/p>\n

Systima won the contract for the separation joint system this month from Dynetics, an Alabama-based company that\u2019s the prime contractor for the universal stage adapter. The value of Systima\u2019s contract is undisclosed, but it\u2019s part of NASA\u2019s $221.7 million contract with Dynetics.<\/p>\n

\u201cSystima is proud to be part of our country\u2019s effort to push the boundaries of human exploration and discovery,\u201d Tom Prenzlow, the company\u2019s president, said in a news release. \u201cMyself and the entire Systima team stand ready to help make this mission a success.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SLS
This diagram identifies the components of the SLS Block 1B rocket, focusing on the universal stage adapter. Click on the image for a larger version. (NASA Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The joint system will be adapted from similar hardware that Systima has built for other launch systems. It\u2019ll be integrated into the universal stage adapter in time for the Space Launch System\u2019s first crewed flight, EM-2, which is currently scheduled to send astronauts around the moon in the early 2020s.<\/p>\n

NASA is spending billions of dollars to develop the SLS as a rocket capable of sending astronauts to cislunar space as well as to Mars and other deep-space destinations. The version that\u2019s being developed for EM-2 is designed to have a 77-ton lift capacity to low Earth orbit, which would make it the most powerful rocket since the days of the Saturn V moon shots.<\/p>\n

Systima was founded in 2002, and manufactures energetic components for defense, space and commercial markets. It also runs an environmental testing lab in Kirkland to support system qualification.<\/p>\n

Other SLS contractors with connections to the Seattle area include Boeing, which is the prime contractor for the launch vehicle\u2019s cryogenic stages and avionics suite; and Aerojet Rocketdyne, which is working on the rocket\u2019s liquid-fueled engines.<\/p>\n