New SLS EUS Production Area Opens, Artemis II Hardware Flipped & Artemis IV Updates

2 minute read•Updated 10:25 PM EDT, Sun May 5, 2024

NASA has recently completed three milestones for their Artemis programme. Here's a rundown of events in the past few days

New SLS EUS production area opens

On 13 February 2023 NASA and Boeing opened their new Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) production area at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility. The EUS will be used on the SLS Block 1B and Block 2 rocket versions starting from Artemis IV. Michoud is also the home of SLS core-stage manufacturing and integration. This move is a big step forward for SLS production as it provides the reliability needed for Crew flights to the moon and beyond.

Artemis II

Image credit: NASA/Michael

On 11 February 2023 the SLS Artemis II engine section was flipped from a vertical position to a horizontal position. This happened at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility. This flip is known as a "breakover" and is done ahead of the final assembly of the engine section with the core.

Now that the flip is complete, teams will be able to move the engine section to the final assembly area where they will complete the join. Once the join to the core stage is complete, teams will install the four RS-25 main engines to the base of the engine section. The fully complete core stage will then be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on NASA's Pegasus barge. All of these events are expected to take place in 2023 ahead of the launch in 2024. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of the SLS rocket.