SPACE 

LAUNCH 

SYSTEM

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

SEPTEMBER – 

DECEMBER 2021

TESTING FOR FLIGHT
ARTEMIS I SPACE LAUNCH 

SYSTEM IS STACKED

ARTEMIS I

The Artemis I SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) is 

stacked onto the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA).

The Artemis I Orion stage adapter (OSA) is stacked on top of 

the ICPS.

The LVSA for the Artemis I SLS is moved into position on the core 

stage at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is secured atop the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, and the integrated system is 

entering the final phase of preparations for an upcoming uncrewed flight test around the Moon. The mission, known as Artemis I, 

will pave the way for a future flight test with crew before NASA establishes a regular cadence of more complex missions with 

astronauts on and around the Moon under Artemis. With stacking complete, a series of integrated tests now sit between the 

mega-Moon rocket and targeted liftoff for deep space in 2022. Each of the test campaigns will evaluate the rocket and spacecraft 

as an integrated system for the first time, building upon each other and culminating in a simulation at the pad to prepare for 

launch day.

Read more: go.nasa.gov/32Jhqve
VIBRATION TESTS FOR MOON 

ROCKET HELP ENSURE SAFE 

TRAVELS ON ROAD TO SPACE

ARTEMIS I

The Artemis I SLS, stacked with the Orion mass simulator and OSA structural test article, 

undergoes modal testing.

Rockets flying through the atmosphere 

to space, including SLS, have natural 

frequencies and experience dynamic 

forces during launch and ascent. 

Understanding those frequencies 

is critical to steering SLS and the 

Orion spacecraft safely through 

the atmospheric “road” to space. 

To safely control the rocket’s flight, 

the flight software and navigation 

system must distinguish the rocket’s 

natural frequencies from the vibration 

frequencies experienced during flight. 

That’s why teams at NASA’s Kennedy 

Space Center in Florida performed 

integrated modal testing to determine 

the different modes of vibration with the 

recently stacked, integrated SLS rocket 

before launch of the Artemis I mission.

Read more: go.nasa.gov/2WgarXg
NASA’S SPACE LAUNCH 

SYSTEM ENGINEERING 

SUPPORT CENTER PREPARES 

FOR ARTEMIS I

ARTEMIS I

SLS team members work through a launch simulation at Marshall’s SLS Engineering Support Center in preparation of the Artemis I mission.

As teams at Kennedy in Florida continue Artemis I launch day preparations, crews at the SLS Engineering Support Center at 

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are joining simulations to practice their roles in the exploration 

of the Moon and beyond. The SLS Engineering Support Center will provide support from the ground during Artemis launches 

by monitoring data and solving challenges that may occur before and during SLS’s Artemis flights. The support center allows 

the SLS team to connect not only with Kennedy, but also with experts at various locations across the United States to support 

ground processing, testing, launch, and flight operations for the rocket in real time. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/32n9T4Z
SLS BOOSTER FIRED UP TO TEST 

IMPROVED DESIGN FOR FUTURE 

ARTEMIS MISSIONS

ARTEMIS IX

The subscale motor produced 76,400 lbs. (34,654 kg) of thrust during the hot fire test. This test was the first of two tests supporting the 

advanced booster development effort that includes a new motor design for upcoming Artemis missions after Artemis VIII.

A team of NASA and Northrop Grumman engineers fired a 2-foot-diameter, subscale solid rocket booster on Dec. 2, 2021, at 

Marshall. This test, conducted in Marshall’s East Test Area, was the second of three tests supporting the Booster Obsolescence 

and Life Extension (BOLE) program, which will have an upgraded design to power the evolved configuration of the SLS rocket on 

flights after Artemis VIII.

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3HwnBl7
PROGRESS TO ARTEMIS I 

LAUNCH AND FUTURE ARTEMIS 

MISSIONS MAKES GREAT 

STRIDES IN 2021

ARTEMIS I

NASA and its partners made great strides in 2021 despite the ongoing pandemic and multiple hurricanes that affected 

key manufacturing and test facilities on the Gulf Coast. Even as technicians assembled the Artemis I vehicle at Kennedy, 

progress towards numerous Artemis missions occurred across America. Here are the top stories from this year.

NASA conducted the final test of the Green Run test series on 

the Artemis I core stage early in 2021. The final test was a hot 

fire test, during which the core stage was loaded with cryogenic 

liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and its four RS-25 engines 

were tested for the full eight-minute duration the stage will see 

during launch. The first hot fire test was conducted on January 

16 but ended after just two minutes. While valuable data were 

collected, the decision was made to perform a second hot fire 

test. That test successfully ran for eight minutes on March 18. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3lsPhNO

SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM PASSES KEY TEST, 

READIES FOR LAUNCH

ARTEMIS I CORE STAGE TRANSPORTED TO 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Following the successful completion of the Green Run test 

series at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, MS, 

the Artemis I core stage was removed from the B-2 test stand 

and loaded on the barge Pegasus for transport to Kennedy. 

The 212-foot stage arrived in the turn basin on April 27 and 

was transported into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) two 

days later. Once in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), teams 

completed necessary work before stacking the stage between 

the twin solid rocket boosters. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3gNkz1I
SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS COMPLETE STACKING ON 

MOBILE LAUNCHER

ARTEMIS I

In March, the solid rocket boosters completed stacking on the 

mobile launcher in the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3. 

Stacking began in November 2020 and involved putting each 

of the booster segments on the mobile launcher. Following 

stacking, teams conducted push-pull tests to collect data on 

the boosters. The core stage was mated to them in the summer. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/2TImScN

ARTEMIS I HITCHHIKER PAYLOADS INTEGRATED ON 

SLS FOR LAUNCH

Artemis I will have 10 “hitchhiking” payloads that will deploy at 

various deep space destinations following Orion’s separation 

from SLS. These briefcase-size secondary payloads will 

launch in the Orion stage adapter and will conduct a variety 

of studies around Earth, the Moon, and deeper in space. They 

were successfully integrated into the adapter in the fall and 

subsequently stacked on SLS. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3Ad0M1N

SIMULATIONS PREPARE TEAM, FACILITIES FOR 

ARTEMIS I MISSION

The Artemis I launch and mission teams performed multiple 

simulations throughout the year. These simulations covered 

every aspect of the mission from the start of the launch 

countdown through filling the core stage and ICPS with 

cryogenic fuel and oxidizer, and launch and ascent. The teams 

became comfortable with the data they will see at the various 

phases of the mission. They also gained practice solving any 

problems that might arise during the actual launch. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3H5fs6P
WEATHER SIMULATION 

CLEARS THE SKIES FOR 

ARTEMIS I MISSION

ARTEMIS I, II, III 

AND BEYOND

In addition to preparing the hardware, software, and 

flight controllers for the Artemis I launch, the weather 

team conducted its own simulations and practice trials. 

Meteorologists play a vital role in protecting the rocket and 

helping ensure NASA launches SLS in conditions safe for the 

rocket, the payload, and the public. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3EnhOw2

HARDWARE PROGRESSES 

FOR ARTEMIS MISSIONS II, 

III, AND BEYOND

As teams at Kennedy prepare for the first flight of SLS and 

Orion, the teams at Marshall, NASA’s Michoud Assembly 

Facility in New Orleans, LA, and industry sites around the 

country are hard at work building components for the Artemis 

II and III missions. In 2021, the Artemis II LVSA, forward 

core stage section, and core stage liquid hydrogen tank all 

reached manufacturing milestones while all 10 Artemis III 

booster motor segments were cast and welding continued 

on the Artemis III LVSA, OSA, and core stage components. 

Components for Artemis V and beyond continued to make 

progress. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/32xYYW8

NASA SEEKS INPUT TO 

POSITION MEGA-ROCKET 

FOR LONG-TERM 

EXPLORATION

In October, NASA released a Request for Information (RFI) 

inviting industry to provide feedback on the best ways to 

produce and operate SLS for its deep space exploration 

missions. The goal is to gather information to position the 

agency to support long-term exploration of the Moon, Mars, 

and beyond by streamlining SLS production and operations, 

maximizing efficiencies, and making the national capability 

available to other customers in the government and industry. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3sV88qG
TWO NEW RS-25 TEST 

SERIES TEST COMPONENTS 

FOR FUTURE SLS ENGINES 

In January, teams kicked off the Retrofit 2 test series to 

evaluate components made with cutting-edge and cost-saving 

technologies for the SLS RS-25 engines. The RS-25 is the 

powerhouse engine for the rocket’s core stage, burning for the 

entire eight-minute flight to space. The test series concluded 

in September after seven successful tests. The Retrofit 3 test 

series began in December and will have three phases. Phase 

1 will gather performance data on a developmental engine on 

components using state-of-the-art fabrication technologies. 

Phase 2 will feature a certification engine built with brand-new 

parts from manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne. The engine is 

identical to the new-production engines that will be used after 

Artemis IV. Phase 3 will use a developmental engine and along 

with the certification engine will be used to certify engines for 

flight. In total 27 tests are planned with the Retrofit 3 series. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3eiKWdu

CONTRACT FINALIZED FOR 

NEXT GENERATION SOLID 

ROCKET BOOSTERS

Artemis IX will debut a newly designed solid rocket booster 

which will make SLS more powerful than ever before. The 

contract to continue building boosters for missions beyond 

Artemis III and to begin design, development, and testing of 

that next generation booster was finalized in December. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3mqDSzX

TEST PANELS FOR SLS 

BLOCK 1B FEEL THE 

PRESSURE

ARTEMIS III, IV 

AND IX

Artemis IV will debut the Block 1B version of the rocket, 

featuring a more powerful upper stage and a new Universal 

Stage Adapter, with volume for co-manifested payloads. 

Teams at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia 

conducted structural tests on developmental panels made of 

the same composite materials as the adapter. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3eh8oba
WHAT’S NEW IN SLS SOCIAL MEDIA

NASA ARTEMIS I 

UMBILICAL RELEASE 

AND RETRACT TEST 

ENSURES SAFE 

SEPARATION DURING 

LAUNCH

Teams at Kennedy conducted the Umbilical Release and 

Retract Test in September. The test ensured that the 

umbilicals, which supply the rocket with fuel, oxidizer, power, 

and commands while on the launch pad, properly separate 

during launch.

Watch the full video here: go.nasa.gov/3J9GDzj

ORION IS LIFTED INTO 

PLACE ON SLS

In October, the Artemis I Orion capsule was lifted into High 

Bay 3 at the Vehicle Assembly Building and stacked atop SLS. 

Read more: go.nasa.gov/3FnhiQa
SLS ON THE ROAD

NASA SLS and NASA Marshall team members participated in the Huntsville Science Festival STEAMfest 2021 in Huntsville, AL, on 

Oct. 20, 2021, where they shared the SLS story and excitement with members of the community. STEAMfest included numerous 

organizations and companies to encourage the public – young and old – to be engaged and excited in science, technology, 

engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM).

SLS team members joined members of the Huntsville community for the ARTemis Walk 

October 8. Visitors learned about SLS, the Artemis missions, and even saw a flyover of the 

International Space Station.
SPACEFLIGHT 

PARTNERS: 

Kirkhill Inc.

WHAT THEY DO FOR SLS:

Kirkhill Inc. produces insulating materials 

for the SLS solid rocket motors. Materials 

include silica-filled EPDM, silica-filled NBR, 

PBI-filled NBR, and natural rubber. Kirkhill 

insulating materials were used on the Flight 

Support Booster-1 that successfully testfired in September 2020. The insulation 

in the booster motors protects the cases 

and igniters’ metal hardware from the 

harsh internal motor environment. It also 

protects the external motor joints from 

weather on the launch pad and from 

heating during flight. Kirkhill’s engineered, 

high-performance elastomer products are 

used on commercial, military, and business 

aircraft around the world as well as rockets 

and satellites. Kirkhill Inc. is a valuable 

partner in ensuring the consistency, 

dependability, and safety of the SLS 

Program and has been a key team member 

for many years.

LOCATION: Brea, California

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 550

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