BOEING DELIVERS SECOND STAGE OF SLS ROCKET FOR ARTEMIS II MISSION

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Bernama-Sputnik) - Boeing announced in a press release that it has delivered the second stage of the giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to NASA. The SLS, which will carry four Artemis II mission astronauts to lunar orbit next year, will be transported to the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. 

"Boeing has provided NASA with the second core stage of the SLS rocket," Boeing said on Tuesday.

“Built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the core stage is designed to send the Artemis II crew to lunar orbit for the first time in 50 years."

The rocket stage is the single-largest component of the Artemis II mission. Next, it will be loaded onto NASA's Barge Pegasus and transported 900 miles (1,448 kilometres) to the Kennedy Space Centre, Boeing said.

"Once there, it will be integrated with the other Artemis II components, including the upper stage, solid rocket boosters, and NASA's Orion spacecraft inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. This integration is a crucial step in preparation for the Artemis II launch, scheduled for 2025," the press release stated.

The Core Stage II is over 200 feet (61 metres) tall and is powered by four RS-25 engines, which, with two solid-fuel booster rockets, will provide the 8.8 million pounds (399,000 kilograms) of necessary thrust to propel Artemis II and future missions into space, Boeing said.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK