Overview
- The SLS core stage, moved Monday from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility onto the Pegasus barge, is headed to Florida for final outfitting, vertical integration, and stacking.
- The transported section is the top four-fifths of the 212-foot core stage with two tanks holding more than 733,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen to feed four RS-25 engines that produce over 2 million pounds of thrust.
- Initial Artemis II assessments found Orion’s thermal protection and heat shield performed as expected with char loss markedly reduced compared with Artemis I.
- NASA is reviewing a urine vent line issue observed on Artemis II to identify the cause and apply fixes before Artemis III.
- Postlaunch checks showed the mobile launcher and pad at Kennedy sustained minimal damage after hardening upgrades, and the launcher has returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs and prep for future missions.