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US Space Shuttle-derived super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Space Launch System (SLS) is planned to be a US super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle, which has been under development since its announcement in 2011. It is the primary launch vehicle of NASA's deep space exploration plans,[14][15] including the planned crewed lunar flights of the Artemis program and a possible follow-on human mission to Mars.[16][17][18] SLS replaces the Constellation program's Ares V launch vehicle of 2005, which never left the development phase.
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This rocket article contains payload capacity, but does not include orbital altitude or inclination, which greatly affects the capacity. |
Function | Super heavy-lift launch vehicle |
---|---|
Country of origin | United States |
Project cost | US$19 billion (6 May 2020)[1] [2] |
Cost per launch | US$800 million to US$900 million (2019 estimate) [3][4] |
Cost per year | US$2 billion per year (2019 estimate) [note 1][6][7] |
Size | |
Height | 111.25 m (365.0 ft), Block 2 Cargo |
Diameter | 8.4 m (28 ft), core stage |
Stages | 2 |
Capacity | |
Payload to LEO | |
Mass | |
Payload to Moon | |
Mass | |
Launch history | |
Status | November 2021[11] |
Launch sites | Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B |
First flight | Artemis 1 |
Type of passengers/cargo | Orion |
Boosters (Block 1, 1B) | |
No. boosters | 2 five-segment Solid Rocket Boosters |
Powered by | off |
Maximum thrust | 16,000 kN (3,600,000 lbf) |
Total thrust | 32,000 kN (7,200,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 269 s (2.64 km/s) |
Burn time | 126 seconds |
Propellant | PBAN, APCP |
First stage (Block 1, 1B, 2) – Core stage | |
Height | 65 m (212 ft) [12] |
Diameter | 8.4 m (27.6 ft) [12] |
Empty mass | 85,270 kg (187,990 lb) |
Gross mass | 979,452 kg (2,159,322 lb) |
Powered by | 4 RS-25D/E [13] |
Maximum thrust | 7,440 kN (1,670,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 363 s (3.56 km/s) (sea level) 452 s (4.43 km/s) (vacuum) |
Burn time | 480 seconds |
Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
Second stage (Block 1) – ICPS | |
Height | 13.7 m (45 ft) |
Diameter | 5 m (16 ft) |
Empty mass | 3,490 kg (7,690 lb) |
Gross mass | 30,710 kg (67,700 lb) |
Powered by | 1 RL10B-2 |
Maximum thrust | 110.1 kN (24,800 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 462 seconds (4.53 km/s) |
Burn time | 1125 seconds |
Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
Second stage (Block 1B, Block 2) – Exploration Upper Stage | |
Diameter | 8.4 m (28 ft) |
Powered by | 4 RL10 |
Maximum thrust | 440 kN (99,000 lbf) |
Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
The initial variant of SLS, Block 1, was required by the US Congress to lift a payload of 70 metric tons (150,000 lb)[19] to low Earth orbit (LEO), but exceeded that requirement with a rated payload capacity of 95 metric tons (209,000 lb).[20] As of December 22, 2019,[update] this variant is planned to launch Artemis 1, 2, and 3.[21] The later Block 1B is intended to debut the Exploration Upper Stage and launch the notional Artemis 4 through Artemis 7.[22] Block 2 is planned to replace the initial Shuttle-derived boosters with advanced boosters and would have a LEO capability of more than 130 metric tons (290,000 lb), again as required by Congress.[19] Block 2 is intended to enable crewed launches to Mars.[18] The SLS will launch the Orion spacecraft and use the ground operations and launch facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.