Aft Skirt Delivery for Artemis I - Prep for RPSF

Inside the Booster Fabrication Facility (BFF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Artemis II aft skirt structures for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s twin solid rocket boosters are in view at left. Behind them are the two Artemis I forward assemblies. At far right, in the distance, is the right aft skirt assembly. In the BFF, the two aft skirt assemblies are being readied for their move to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on June 9, 2020. The aft skirts were refurbished by Northrop Grumman. They house the thrust vector control system, which controls 70 percent of the steering during initial ascent of the SLS rocket. The segments will remain in the RPSF until ready for stacking with the forward and aft parts of the boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Through the Artemis Program, NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.

Inside the Booster Fabrication Facility (BFF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Artemis II aft skirt structures for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s twin solid rocket boosters are in view at left. Behind them are the two Artemis I forward assemblies. At far right, in the distance, is the right aft skirt assembly. In the BFF, the two aft skirt assemblies are being readied for their move to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on June 9, 2020. The aft skirts were refurbished by Northrop Grumman. They house the thrust vector control system, which controls 70 percent of the steering during initial ascent of the SLS rocket. The segments will remain in the RPSF until ready for stacking with the forward and aft parts of the boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Through the Artemis Program, NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.

Photographer NASA/Ben Smegelsky
Location BFF