NASA has revealed the first stage of the SLS rocket for the Artemis II mission that will send humans around the moon on the Orion spacecraft

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the completion of the first stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. It will be used in the second Artemis II lunar mission.

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The SLS is the world's most powerful rocket, although that title could very soon go to SpaceX Starship with its Super Heavy booster, which includes 33 Raptor engines. The first stage is 65 metres high and 8.4 metres in diameter.

It will include four upgraded RS-25 engines that were once used in the Space Shuttle. The fuel here is liquid hydrogen, and the role of oxidant to take on liquid oxygen.

NASA engineers attached the propulsion section to the rest of the SLS first stage. The propulsion section includes hundreds of sensors and a large number of wires, the total length of several kilometres. The next step is to install the RS-25 engines.

Artemis II will take place in 2024. As part of the mission, three American and one Canadian astronaut will orbit the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft and return to Earth. If all goes according to plan, 2025 will be the first lunar landing since 1972.

As part of the Artemis III mission, astronauts will fly to the moon on Orion, but then two of them will transfer to Starship and travel to the surface of the satellite. By the way, SpaceX's craft will not return to Earth, nor will the new spacesuits developed by Axiom.

Source: NASA