by NASAUS
Launch astronauts in the Orion capsule toward the Moon. It is NASA's rocket for Artemis, the first effort to return people to the Moon since Apollo.
Launched Artemis II in Apr 2026; next is Artemis III in 2027, a crewed docking test in Earth orbit.
Updated 1 Apr 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week
Four liquid-hydrogen-burning main engines provide the primary thrust. These engines were developed for the Space Shuttle and reused for SLS.
Two large solid-rocket boosters provide additional thrust during the first two minutes. They are similar to Shuttle boosters but larger.
The Orion crew capsule and its service module sit on top; an upper stage then pushes them out of Earth orbit toward the Moon.
| Spec | Space Launch System (SLS) |
|---|---|
| Height | 98 m (322 ft)R (reported) |
| Core stage diameter | 8.4 mR (reported) |
| Thrust at liftoff | 39 MN (8.8 million lbf)R (reported) |
| Payload to low Earth orbit | 95 tR (reported) |
| Payload toward the Moon (Block 1) | 27 tR (reported) |
R reported by the company
NASA
Space exploration, aeronautics, government research
U.S. federal agency for civilian space exploration and aerospace research. NASA builds spacecraft (Orion for crewed Moon missions), rockets (SLS), and aircraft (X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator) for scientific discovery.
