Space Launch System

The Space Launch System (SLS) is an American super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle used by NASA. As the primary launch vehicle of the Artemis Moon landing program, SLS is designed to launch the crewed Orion spacecraft on a trans-lunar trajectory. The first SLS launch was the uncrewed Artemis 1, which took place on 16 November 2022.[25][17]

Quick facts: Function, Manufacturer, Country of origin, Pr... ▼

Space Launch System

SLS Block 1 with the Orion spacecraft launching from Pad 39B
Function	Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Aerojet Rocketdyne Northrop Grumman Boeing United Launch Alliance
Country of origin	United States
Project cost	US$23.8 billion nominal[1]
Cost per launch	Over US$2 billion excluding development (estimate) [note 1][2][3]: 23–24 [4][1]
Cost per year	US$2.555 billion for FY 2021[5]
Size
Height	Block 1 Crew: 322 ft (98 m) Block 2 Cargo: 365 ft (111 m)
Diameter	27.6 ft (8.4 m), Core stage [6] 16.7 ft (5.1 m), ICPS [7]
Mass	5,750,000 lb (2,610 t)[8]
Stages	2.5
Maximum thrust	39,000,000 N (39 MN; 4,000 tf; 8,800,000 lbf) (Total first stage thrust.)[9]
Capacity
Payload to LEO [note 2]
Mass	Block 1: 209,000 lb (95 t)[11] Block 1B: 231,000 lb (105 t)[12][13] Block 2: 290,000 lb (130 t)[14]
Payload to trans-lunar injection
Mass	Block 1: > 59,500 lb (27 t)[15][16] Block 1B Crew: 83,700 lb (38 t) Block 1B Cargo: 92,500 lb (42 t) Block 2 Crew: > 94,700 lb (43 t) Block 2 Cargo: > 101,400 lb (46 t)
Associated rockets
Comparable	Ares V Energia N1 Saturn V Space Shuttle Falcon Heavy Starship Long March 9
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B
Total launches	1
Success(es)	1
First flight	16 November 2022, 1:47:44 am EST (6:47:44 am UTC)[17]
Type of passengers/cargo	Orion
Stage info Boosters (Block 1, 1B) No. boosters 2 five-segment Solid Rocket Boosters Height 177 ft (54 m)[18] Diameter 12 ft (3.7 m) Gross mass 730 t (1,600,000 lb)[18] Powered by Solid fuel Maximum thrust Sea level: 3,280,000 lbf (14.6 MN; 1,490 tf) Vacuum: 3,600,000 lbf (16 MN; 1,600 tf)[19] Total thrust Sea level: 6,560,000 lbf (29.2 MN; 2,980 tf) Vacuum: 7,200,000 lbf (32 MN; 3,300 tf) Specific impulse 269 s (2.64 km/s) Burn time 126 seconds Propellant PBAN, APCP First stage (Block 1, 1B, 2) – Core stage Height 212 ft (65 m)[20] Diameter 27.6 ft (8.4 m) Empty mass 187,990 lb (85 t) Gross mass 2,365,000 lb (1,073 t) Powered by 4 RS-25D/E Maximum thrust Sea level: 1,672,000 lbf (7.44 MN; 758 tf)[21] Vacuum: 2,049,200 lbf (9.115 MN; 929.5 tf)[21] Specific impulse Sea level: 366 s (3.59 km/s)[21] Vacuum: 452 s (4.43 km/s)[21] Burn time 480 seconds Propellant LH2 / LOX Second stage (Block 1) – ICPS Height 45 ft (13.7 m)[22] Diameter 16 ft (5 m) Empty mass 3,490 kg (7,690 lb)[23] Gross mass 32,066 kg (70,693 lb) Powered by 1 RL10B-2/C-2 Maximum thrust 24,800 lbf (110.1 kN) Specific impulse 465.5 s (4.565 km/s)[24] Burn time 1125 seconds Propellant LH2 / LOX Second stage (Block 1B, Block 2) – Exploration Upper Stage Height 57 ft (17.3 m)[23] Diameter 28 ft (8.4 m) Powered by 4 RL10C-3, later 4 RL10C-X Maximum thrust 91,500 lbf (407.2 kN) Burn time 350 seconds (LEO ascent) 925 seconds (TLI burn) Propellant LH2 / LOX
[edit on Wikidata]

Development of SLS began in 2011, as a replacement for the retired Space Shuttle as well as the cancelled Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles.[26][27][28] As a Shuttle-derived vehicle, the SLS reuses hardware from the Shuttle program, including the solid rocket boosters and RS-25 first stage engines. A Congressionally mandated late 2016 launch was delayed by nearly 6 years.[29]

All Space Launch System flights are launched from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first three SLS flights use the Block 1 configuration, comprising a core stage, extended Space Shuttle boosters developed for Ares I and the ICPS upper stage. An improved Block 1B configuration, with the Exploration Upper Stage, is planned to debut on the fourth flight; a further improved Block 2 configuration featuring new solid rocket boosters is planned to debut on the ninth flight.[30][31][32][33][11] After the launch of Artemis 4, NASA plans to transfer production and launch operations of SLS to Deep Space Transport LLC, a joint venture between Boeing and Northrop Grumman.[34]