Science
NASA begins installing space shuttle-era engines on Artemis III rocket
Technicians at Kennedy Space Center have begun mounting four heritage RS-25 engines onto the SLS core stage ahead of the 2027 crewed mission.
The short version
- NASA technicians started installing four RS-25 engines into the Space Launch System core stage for the Artemis III mission on August 24.
- All four assigned engines previously powered multiple space shuttle missions.
- The Artemis III mission is currently targeted to launch a crew into low Earth orbit in 2027.
Key facts
- Technicians began installing four RS-25 engines onto the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on August 24.[NASA News]
- The engines assigned to Artemis III are serialized as E2054, E2057, E2048, and E2052, all of which previously flew on space shuttle missions.[NASA News]
- Engine 2048 previously flew on Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-95 mission in 1998 and on Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-129.[NASA News]
- The Artemis III mission is scheduled to launch a crew into low Earth orbit in 2027.[NASA News]