NASA has begun preparations for the production, testing and assembly of the Block 1B configuration of the Space Launch System super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle set to launch the space agency’s Artemis IV mission.
The early manufacturing phase has started at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and preparations for the green run test series for the SLS Block 1B rocket’s upgraded upper stage are underway at Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, NASA said Tuesday.
The Block 1B crew vehicle will use a more powerful exploration upper stage to enable NASA to send larger and heavier exploration cargo to the moon for future Artemis missions.
“We are building on the SLS Block 1 design, testing, and flight experience to develop safe, reliable transportation that will send bigger and heavier hardware to the Moon in a single launch than existing rockets,” said James Burnum, deputy manager of the NASA Block 1B Development Office.
In a single launch, the Block 1B rocket can carry a crewed Orion spacecraft and large cargo to the moon with a payload capacity of 83,700 lbs.