With Artemis teammates and media watching, United Launch Alliance (ULA) crews guided the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III to the loading dock at ULA’s facility in Decatur, Alabama, July 31. ULA’s R/S RocketShip will transport the flight hardware to ULA’s sister facility in Florida near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where it will undergo final checkouts.

The ICPS and its single RL10 engine provides in-space propulsion during Artemis III, firing to send astronauts inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft on a precise trajectory to the Moon. This ICPS for Artemis III is the last of its kind as SLS transitions to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration with an upgraded upper stage beginning with Artemis IV.

“The ICPS is a key piece of hardware for NASA’s SLS rocket, and with this shipment,  NASA is another step closer to returning astronauts to the lunar surface under Artemis,” said Chris Calfee, deputy manager for the SLS spacecraft and payload integration and evolution office. “Together, NASA, ULA, and Boeing have produced a powerful and dynamic in-space propulsion stage that has laid the foundation for human exploration of deep space for decades to come.”

ULA technicians in Decatur, Alabama, prepare the ICPS (interim cryogenic propulsion stage) for boxing July 29. The SLS upper stage is raised and lowered into a container for shipment to the Space Coast.

The ICPS is manufactured by ULA. Its RL10 engine is produced by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the SLS engines lead contractor, in West Palm Beach, Florida. ULA is working with Boeing, the SLS core stage and exploration upper stage lead contractor, to develop ICPS.

NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

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ULA technicians in Decatur, Alabama, prepare the ICPS (interim cryogenic propulsion stage) for boxing July 29. The SLS upper stage is raised and lowered into a container for shipment to the Space Coast. Credits: NASA/Brandon Hancock

Source: NASA