NASA’s Artemis II Rocket Rolls Out with 3D Printed Parts

NASA moved closer to the Moon with the rollout of the core stage for the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This rocket is designed to take astronauts around the Moon and back as part of NASA’s Artemis program, with the first crewed flight scheduled for late 2024.

On July 16, 2024, the core stage was transported from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo final preparations for launch. This move is a crucial step toward NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon, paving the way for future missions, including Artemis III, which strives to land astronauts on the lunar surface.

The first core stage that will help launch the first crewed flight of NASA’s SLS rocket for the Artemis II missions has been moved out of the factory. Image courtesy of NASA/Sam Lott.

Standing at 212 feet tall, the SLS core stage is a massive structure with two large propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines. These engines will provide the thrust to propel the Artemis II mission’s Orion spacecraft, carrying astronauts, toward the Moon. This core stage will produce over two million pounds of thrust and operate for just over eight minutes during launch and flight. After completing its mission, the core stage will be jettisoned and fall back to Earth, burning up upon reentry into the atmosphere.

One key aspect of the Artemis II mission is the use of 3D printed parts in the SLS rocket, especially in the RS-25 engines. Aerojet Rocketdyne, a major NASA partner and now part of L3Harris Technologies, has used 3D printing to make various engine parts, including the large pogo accumulator assembly. This assembly helps reduce engine vibrations that affect the rocket’s stability and performance and replaces over 20 parts and 100 welds, making production faster and simpler. Other 3D printed components like valves and redesigned actuators have been integrated into these engines to enhance performance and reduce costs.

Using 3D printing in the RS-25 engines is a big step forward. It makes the engines lighter, more efficient, and better performing. These engines, which have parts from past Space Shuttle missions, now have new controllers and modern components to meet the higher performance needs of the SLS rocket.

Aerojet Rocketdyne completes the initial RS-25 certification campaign of 12 hot-fire tests at NASA Stennis. Image courtesy of Aerojet Rocketdyne via Twitter.

The RS-25 engines used in the Artemis II mission are a mix of upgraded engines from the Space Shuttle program and newly assembled ones with modern parts. All four engines for Artemis II have parts that flew on past shuttle missions. Engine 2047 flew on the final shuttle mission (STS-135), and engine 2059 flew on the second-to-last shuttle flight (STS-134). Engines 2062 and 2063, though never flown in space, were built from components made for the shuttle program but updated for Artemis.

Starting with Artemis V, NASA will begin using entirely new RS-25 engines, designed with advanced manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing, to be more cost-effective and capable of higher performance​.

The core stage for the first crewed flight of NASA’s SLS rocket moves toward Pegasus on July 16, 2024. Image courtesy of NASA/Eric Bordelon & Michael DeMocker.

Although significant progress has been made, the development of the SLS core stage has faced several issues and delays. Technical challenges with designing and integrating components, budget overruns, and repeated schedule delays have affected the project. Problems during testing, such as issues identified in the Green Run test series, have also contributed to the setbacks. These difficulties have caused significant delays in the Artemis program, pushing back the timeline for crewed missions to the Moon.

Despite these challenges, the rollout finally happened, coinciding with the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch. This event is significant because it marks the first time since the Apollo program that a fully assembled Moon rocket stage for a crewed mission has been moved out of NASA Michoud.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen watch move teams on July 16, 2024, transport the core stage of NASA’s SLS rocket for delivery to the Space Coast. Image courtesy of NASA/Sam Lott.

Once it reaches the Kennedy Space Center, the SLS core stage will get additional parts added in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Engineers will attach it to the twin solid rocket boosters, which are large rockets that help lift the SLS off the ground. They will also add other parts, including adapters that connect different sections of the rocket and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, which provides extra push to get the rocket into space.

The rollout of the SLS core stage is a collaborative effort of NASA, Boeing, and Aerojet Rocketdyne, along with contributions from more than 1,100 companies across the United States. According to the agency, collaborations like this are essential to the success of the Artemis mission.

“The delivery of the SLS core stage for Artemis II to Kennedy Space Center signals a shift from manufacturing to launch readiness as teams continue to make progress on hardware for all major elements for future SLS rockets,” said John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “We are motivated by the success of Artemis I and focused on working toward the first crewed flight under Artemis.”

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen watch two F-15s perform a military flyover as NASA’s SLS rocket for Artemis II is rolled out of the New Orleans facility. Image courtesy of NASA/Brandon Hancock.

Artemis II aims to send astronauts around the Moon, paving the way for future missions that will land the first woman, the first person of color, and international partner astronauts on the lunar surface. The SLS rocket, along with the Orion spacecraft and supporting ground systems, forms the backbone of NASA’s deep space exploration efforts and represents an essential canvas for 3D printing advances, showcasing how this technology can improve space travel.