MIKE KYNARD, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MAF, VIEWS LVSA FORWARD CONE. LVSA AFT CONE SECTION IS SEEN IN BACKGROUND

LVSA AFT CONE SECTION POST WELD #8 EXTERIOR VIEWS OF LVSA AFT CONE

LVSA POST WELD #8

BLDG. 4755 HIGH BAY OVERVIEW SHOWING LVSA FORWARD CONE (RIGHT) AND AFT CONE (LEFT) SECTIONS.

LVSA FORWARD AND AFT CONES

LVSA AFT CONE SECTION POST WELD #8 WELD SEAM DETAILS

LVSA POST WELD #8

LVSA AFT CONE SECTION POST WELD #8 INTERIOR VIEW OF CONE

LVSA POST WELD #8

LVSA AFT CONE MOVE FROM FRAME

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Aft Cone Weld #7

LVSA 7TH WELD

LVSA AFT CONE MOVE

LVSA AFT CONE WELD #8 SEAM DETAIL

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Aft Cone Post Weld #7

LVSA AFT CONE POST 7TH WELD

Lifting of the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) in preparation for transport. The LVSA was fabricated in the EM32 Advanced Welding Development Facility at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. The LVSA was welded using the conventional and self-reacting friction stir process and has approximately 375 feet of weld.

The Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) is Lifted Prior to Trans

LVSA Completed Stack

Seen here is the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket atop the massive SLS core stage on the mobile launcher in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 24, 2021. Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs used one of five VAB cranes to lift the adapter almost 250-feet in the air and then slowly lower it on to the core stage earlier this week. The LVSA arrived at Kennedy from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July 2020 and has remained in the VAB for processing. During integration, known as “stacking,” the LVSA is bolted to the forward skirt of the core stage, connecting the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage in preparation for the first flight of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. The ICPS’s RL10 engine will fit down inside the LVSA, which protects the engine during launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.

LVSA Completed Stack

Seen here is the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket atop the massive SLS core stage on the mobile launcher in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 24, 2021. Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs used one of five VAB cranes to lift the adapter almost 250-feet in the air and then slowly lower it on to the core stage earlier this week. The LVSA arrived at Kennedy from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July 2020 and has remained in the VAB for processing. During integration, known as “stacking,” the LVSA is bolted to the forward skirt of the core stage, connecting the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage in preparation for the first flight of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. The ICPS’s RL10 engine will fit down inside the LVSA, which protects the engine during launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.

Artemis I SLS LVSA Lift and Mate

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs prepare to integrate the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the massive SLS core stage on the mobile launcher in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2021. The LVSA arrived at Kennedy from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July 2020 and has remained in the VAB for processing. During integration, known as “stacking,” the LVSA will be bolted to the forward skirt of the core stage, connecting the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage in preparation for the first flight of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.

Artemis I SLS LVSA Lift and Mate

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs integrate the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the massive SLS core stage on the mobile launcher in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2021. Engineers used one of five VAB cranes to lift the adapter almost 250-feet in the air and then slowly lower it on to the core stage. The LVSA arrived at Kennedy from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July 2020 and has remained in the VAB for processing. During integration, known as “stacking,” the LVSA is bolted to the forward skirt of the core stage, connecting the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage in preparation for the first flight of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. The ICPS’s RL10 engine will fit down inside the LVSA, which protects the engine during launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.

Artemis I SLS LVSA Lift and Mate

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs integrate the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the massive SLS core stage on the mobile launcher in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2021. Engineers used one of five VAB cranes to lift the adapter almost 250-feet in the air and then slowly lower it on to the core stage. The LVSA arrived at Kennedy from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July 2020 and has remained in the VAB for processing. During integration, known as “stacking,” the LVSA is bolted to the forward skirt of the core stage, connecting the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage in preparation for the first flight of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. The ICPS’s RL10 engine will fit down inside the LVSA, which protects the engine during launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.

Artemis I SLS LVSA Lift and Mate

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) sits in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), while teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs integrate the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) with the massive SLS core stage on the mobile launcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2021. Engineers used one of five VAB cranes to lift the adapter almost 250-feet in the air and then slowly lower it on to the core stage. The LVSA arrived at Kennedy from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July 2020 and has remained in the VAB for processing. During integration, known as “stacking,” the LVSA is bolted to the forward skirt of the core stage, connecting the core stage and the ICPS in preparation for the first flight of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. The ICPS will provide Orion spacecraft with the push needed for its flight around the Moon. The ICPS’s RL10 engine will fit down inside the LVSA, which protects the engine during launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Arrival

NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agency’s Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Arrival

NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agency’s Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Arrival

NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agency’s Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Arrival

NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, approaches the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agency’s Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Arrival

NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agency’s Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Arrival

NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agency’s Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) Arrival

NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agency’s Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Move

A NASA KAMAG transporter moves the Space Launch System’s launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) to an area where spray-on foam insulation will be applied. The LVSA recently completed manufacturing on a 30 foot welding tool at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Al. The LVSA will be coated with insulation that will protect it during it’s trip to space. The LVSA provides structural support and connects the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage during the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion.

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show how technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have applied the thermal protection system material to the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discovery and inspire the Artemis Generation. The LVSA is a cone-shaped element that connects the mega rocket’s core stage to its interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), partially enclosing it and protecting its avionics and electrical systems from the extreme pressures, sounds, and temperatures during launch and flight. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show how technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have applied the thermal protection system material to the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discovery and inspire the Artemis Generation. The LVSA is a cone-shaped element that connects the mega rocket’s core stage to its interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), partially enclosing it and protecting its avionics and electrical systems from the extreme pressures, sounds, and temperatures during launch and flight. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Pegasus Barge transfers LVSA II from MSFC to KSC

NASA’s Pegasus barge, ferrying the launch vehicle stage adapter for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, departed the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 21, passing through nearby Decatur. The cone-shaped adapter is part of the SLS rocket that will power Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the agency’s Artemis campaign. The barge will stop briefly at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to pick up additional hardware elements for Artemis III and Artemis IV before heading to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the adapter will be readied for stacking and launch preparations.

MSFC-1501501

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III before technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, applied the thermal protection system to it. Artemis III will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discover and inspire the Artemis Generation. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show how technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have applied the thermal protection system material to the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discovery and inspire the Artemis Generation. The LVSA is a cone-shaped element that connects the mega rocket’s core stage to its interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), partially enclosing it and protecting its avionics and electrical systems from the extreme pressures, sounds, and temperatures during launch and flight. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show how technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have applied the thermal protection system material to the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discovery and inspire the Artemis Generation. The LVSA is a cone-shaped element that connects the mega rocket’s core stage to its interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), partially enclosing it and protecting its avionics and electrical systems from the extreme pressures, sounds, and temperatures during launch and flight. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show how technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have applied the thermal protection system material to the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discovery and inspire the Artemis Generation. The LVSA is a cone-shaped element that connects the mega rocket’s core stage to its interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), partially enclosing it and protecting its avionics and electrical systems from the extreme pressures, sounds, and temperatures during launch and flight. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show how technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have applied the thermal protection system material to the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discovery and inspire the Artemis Generation. The LVSA is a cone-shaped element that connects the mega rocket’s core stage to its interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), partially enclosing it and protecting its avionics and electrical systems from the extreme pressures, sounds, and temperatures during launch and flight. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter being loaded on the KMag for transportation to building 4707 for further testing.

LVSA Move From Building 4755 to 4707

Technicians Apply Thermal Protection Material to NASA Moon Rocket Hardware

These photos show the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis III before technicians at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, applied the thermal protection system to it. Artemis III will land astronauts on the Moon to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discover and inspire the Artemis Generation. Teams at Marshall began applying the thermal protection system material in the spring of 2023. Unlike other parts of the SLS rocket, the thermal protection system material for the LVSA is applied entirely by hand using a spray gun. During application, the technicians use a thin measuring rod to gauge the proper thickness. Once the thermal protection system has cured, certain areas are sanded down to meet parameters. The entire process takes several months. The LVSA is fully manufactured at Marshall by NASA, lead contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the Jacobs Space Group’s ESSCA contract. The LVSA for Artemis III is the last of its kind as future SLS rockets will transition to its next, more powerful Block 1B configuration beginning with Artemis IV. 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.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Offload

Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems prepare to offload the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and move it to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 30, 2020, for processing. Carried by NASA’s Pegasus barge, the LVSA arrived at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf after departing from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage and will remain in the VAB until it’s time for stacking on the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

Artemis I Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Transport to VAB

Technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems move the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 30, 2020, for processing. Carried by NASA’s Pegasus barge, the LVSA arrived at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf after departing from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rocket’s upper stage and will remain in the VAB until it’s time for stacking on the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.