SLS
NASA continues efforts to set up long-term SLS production
NASA has taken another step in its efforts to establish a long-term production line for the Space Launch System, although it remains uncertain what cost savings, if any, those contracts will provide.
First SLS launch now expected in late 2021
NASA now expects the first launch of the Space Launch System to take place in late 2021, with the coronavirus pandemic at least partially contributing to the latest delays.
Aerojet Rocketdyne defends SLS engine contract costs
Despite sticker shock from some quarters, Aerojet Rocketdyne says a new contract for producing engines for NASA’s Space Launch System will result in cost reductions compared to the engines used on the space shuttle.
GAO warns of continued cost growth on NASA exploration programs
A new study found that costs on major NASA projects continued to grow in the last year, and warned some of the agency’s highest profile programs will likely face additional cost overruns and delays in the near future.
Coronavirus pandemic to halt SLS testing
NASA has elevated two centers to the highest level of its pandemic response plan, halting preparations for a major test of the Space Launch System.
Report finds delays and cost overruns in SLS mobile launch platform development
NASA will spend nearly $1 billion on a mobile launch platform for the Space Launch System that will be used for no more than four launches, a NASA report released March 17 revealed.
SLS cost growth exceeds threshold for formal review
The cost of NASA’s Space Launch System has grown to the point where the agency must notify Congress and perform a formal reassessment of the program, NASA’s inspector general concluded in a March 10 report.
First SLS launch now expected in second half of 2021
A top NASA official said Feb. 28 he expects the first flight of the Space Launch System to take place in the second half of 2021, a later date than prior agency statements.
First SLS core stage ready for shipment
The first core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System finally rolled out of its factory Jan. 8, ready to be shipped to a NASA center for a key series of tests in the coming months.
NASA and Boeing look ahead to long-term SLS production
As NASA marked the completion of the core stage of the first Space Launch System rocket, the agency and the rocket’s prime contractor are in the midst of negotiations for a long-term production contract for additional vehicles.
SLS core stage declared ready for launch in 2021
NASA declared the long-delayed core stage for the first Space Launch System rocket complete Dec. 9, although the rocket’s launch is still more than a year away.
New NASA human spaceflight leader calls SLS “mandatory” for return to the moon
The new head of NASA’s human spaceflight programs affirmed his support for the Space Launch System Dec. 3, saying the long-delayed heavy-lift rocket is “absolutely mandatory” for returning humans to the moon.
White House warns Congress about Artemis funding
The White House warned Congress in a recent letter that without funding increases for its exploration programs, NASA won’t be able to achieve the goal of landing humans on the moon in 2024.
NASA official hints first SLS launch could slip to mid-2021
While NASA continues to wait to set a new official date for the first launch of its Space Launch System, an agency official said Oct. 10 that the launch could slip as late as the middle of 2021.
Senate bill offers $22.75 billion for NASA in 2020
A Senate appropriations subcommittee approved a spending bill Sept. 24 that would provide $22.75 billion for NASA in fiscal year 2020, including much, but not all, of what the agency sought in additional funding for the Artemis program.
House members skeptical about NASA’s approach to returning humans to the moon
Members of a House committee expressed skepticism about NASA’s reliance on commercial launch vehicles to carry out human lunar landings by 2024 rather than an upgraded version of the Space Launch System.
