Explore Lagniappe for August 2024 featuring:
- NASA's Stennis Space Center Announces New Deputy Director
- NASA Inspires at 2024 ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans
- NASA Stennis Flashback
Gator Speaks
The roll out of NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) Artemis II core stage from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on July 16 brought warm feelings to this Gator heart of mine.
It shows the continued progress toward the Artemis II test flight for NASA's first crewed mission to the Moon under the Artemis campaign.
The SLS core stage for NASA's powerful rocket shows the collective strength of collaboration, including all 10 NASA centers and more than 1,100 companies across the United States who contributed to its production.
NASA Stennis is quite familiar with the SLS core stage for a couple of reasons.
The expert NASA Stennis test team knows all about the RS-25 engines helping power SLS since all RS-25 engines are tested and proven flight-worthy at NASA Stennis. Two huge propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super-chilled liquid propellant feed four RS-25 engines at launch.
It will be quite a sight watching the SLS core stage produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to propel astronauts toward the Moon in the Orion spacecraft.
NASA Stennis helped pave the way for a successful Artemis I launch by testing the first SLS core stage to collect data and ensure all was ready to go.
Now, crews are preparing the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2), where NASA Stennis tested the SLS core stage for Artemis I, for future testing of NASA's exploration upper stage.
The new upper stage, in production at NASA Michoud, is part of the next evolution for SLS.
So, you see, the July roll out of the SLS core stage for Artemis II is much more than a chance to see the massive structure being moved.
It shows the passions and dreams of so many on the move.
It shows the creativity involved.
It shows how NASA continues building on decades of exploration experience to fuel America's passion for discovery.
Go, Artemis! Go, NASA!
NASA Stennis Top News
NASA's Stennis Space Center Announces New Deputy Director
NASA's Stennis Space Center Director John Bailey announced Aug. 2 that longtime propulsion engineer/manager Christine Powell has been selected as deputy director of the south Mississippi propulsion site, effective Aug. 12.
