The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Congratulates the NASA Space Launch System Team as U.S. Prepares to Return to the Moon
The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration (Coalition) applauds NASA and our founding members Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne on the successful hot fire test of the first Space Launch System (SLS) core stage on March 18, 2021. The hot fire, in which the four RS-25 engines fired in unison for eight minutes and 19 seconds, marked the last test in the Green Run campaign, a comprehensive assessment designed to resolve any issues before the SLS’s first mission and reduce future risks.
The test, conducted at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, simulated an actual launch of the core stage that will fly on the Artemis I mission, an integrated flight test of SLS and the Orion spacecraft, planned for later this year. After undergoing post-test inspections, the stage will be ready to ship to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to be integrated to the boosters, upper stage, and Orion.
“Congratulations to the entire SLS Core Stage team on this milestone achievement,” said Andrew Allen, Coalition interim CEO and Vice President of Jacobs Space Operations Group. “With its unprecedented power and capabilities, the SLS rocket is a crucial part of the architecture to go back to the Moon and on future missions to Mars.”
About the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration
The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration is a national organization of more than 60 space industry businesses and universities focused on ensuring the United States remains a leader in space, science and technology. Based in Washington D.C., the Coalition engages in outreach and education reinforcing the value and benefits of human space exploration, space science and commerce with the public and our nation’s leaders, building lasting support for a long-term, sustainable, strategic direction for our nation’s space program.
