NASA Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk said he expects the Space Launch System's initial flight to occur in mid-2021 or late 2021, SpaceNews reported Monday.
Jurczyk said the SLS core stage is expected to arrive in late summer or early fall at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to facilitate the integration in preparation for the Artemis 1 mission launch.
He noted that NASA is advancing development work on the modules and related platforms for the lunar Gateway and is preparing to award a contract for Gateway-related logistics services.
Jurczyk offered updates on the Human Landing System program in support of the Artemis 3 mission, which aims to bring astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024.
