NASA received the upper stage for the agency’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on Mar. 4 supplied by Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA). Known as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, it arrived at the Multi Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The upper stage traveled to the spaceport from ULA’s Delta Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

While at the MPPF, technicians will fuel the SLS upper stage with hydrazine for its reaction control system before transporting it to the center’s Vehicle Assembly Building for integration with SLS rocket elements atop mobile launcher 1. The rocket’s solid rocket booster segments are already assembled for launch and the core stage soon will be integrated, as will the launch vehicle stage adapter. The upper stage will be mated to the adapter.

The four-story propulsion system is powered by an RL10 engine, which will provide Orion with the boost it needs to orbit Earth twice before venturing toward the Moon.

Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance and NASA/Skip Williams