#Exploration

[illustratus]

The Eastern Cataracts of the Victoria Falls by Thomas Baines

[meonapicnictable]

An abundance of orange

[thatsbelievable]

[arcadebroke]

[nasa]

ALT: This video shows blades of grass moving in the wind on a beautiful day at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. In the background, we see the 212-foot-core stage for the powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket used for Artemis I. The camera ascends, revealing the core stage next to a shimmering body of water as technicians lead it towards NASA’s Pegasus barge. Credit: NASA

The SLS (Space Launch System) Core Stage by Numbers

Technicians with NASA and SLS core stage lead contractor Boeing, along with RS-25 engines lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, are nearing a major milestone for the Artemis II mission. The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage for Artemis II is fully assembled and will soon be shipped via barge from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once there, it will be prepped for stacking and launch activities.

Get to know the core stage – by the numbers.

Standing 212 feet tall and measuring 27.6 feet in diameter, the SLS core stage is the largest rocket stage NASA has ever built. Due to its size, the hardware must be shipped aboard NASA’s Pegasus barge.

900 miles

Once loaded, the barge – which was updated to accommodate the giant core stage -- will travel 900 miles to Florida across inland and ocean waterways. Once at Kennedy, teams with our Exploration Ground Systems team will complete checkouts for the core stage prior to stacking preparations.

18 Miles + 500 Sensors

As impressive as the core stage is on the outside, it’s also incredible on the inside. The “brains” of the rocket consist of three flight computers and special avionics systems that tell the rocket what to do. This is linked to 18 miles of cabling and more than 500 sensors and systems to help feed fuel and steer the four RS-25 engines.

8.8 million

Speaking of engines… Our SLS Moon rocket generates approximately 8.8 million pounds of thrust at launch. Two million pounds come from the four powerful RS-25 engines at the base of the core stage, while each of the two solid rocket boosters produces a maximum thrust of 3.6 million pounds. Together, the engines and boosters will help launch a crew of four Artemis astronauts inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft beyond Earth orbit to venture around the Moon.

733,000 Gallons

Achieving the powerful thrust required at launch calls for a large amount of fuel - 733,000 gallons, to be precise. The stage has two huge propellant tanks that hold the super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that make the rocket “go.” A new liquid hydrogen storage sphere has recently been built at Kennedy, which can store 1.25 million gallons of liquid hydrogen.

Four

The number four doesn’t just apply to the RS-25 engines. It’s also the number of astronauts who will fly inside our Orion spacecraft atop our SLS rocket for the first crewed Artemis mission. When NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover along with CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen launch, they will be the first astronauts returning to the Moon in more than 50 years.

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[lovehina019]

[nomilkinmyteaplease]

Endurance in a new 3d scan by the Falkland Maritime Heritage Trust

[wolfbeestudio]

I love black cats, so they're great for style practice and exploration~

Which one is your favorite?

Like, comment, share, and follow for more!

NOW AVAILABLE AS KEYCHAINS ON MY ETSY!

[coolthingsguyslike]

[nfasth]

[cpleblow]

Hiking in backcountry

(between Loveland and Estes Park)

©cpleblow (2023)

[illustratus]

Columbus Refuses a Plea to Turn Back by Tom Lovell

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Venturi Antarctica EV, 2018. An electric ATV from the French sports car maker that can manage 20 kph max. for a range of 45 kilometres.

[yorksnapshots]

A cherub among snowdrops.

[midstpodcast]

LAUNCH DAY IS ALMOST HERE! 🌬️ 🚀 A supernatural ship and a remarkable crew set forth on an expedition to explore the furthest reaches of the known Cosmos as #UNEND begins this October 9th! 🧡 WATCH THE TRAILER 🎥 youtu.be/Ssm0xfDHgiU LEARN MORE 🔎 critrole.com/unend/