tech
NASA finally acknowledges the elephant in the room with the SLS rocket
“You know, you’re right, the flight rate—three years is a long time.”
TL;DR
- The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket program has cost over $30 billion and is known for being expensive and slow.
- The Artemis II mission's first wet-dress test encountered a hydrogen leak, similar to issues during the Artemis I campaign.
- The leak problems led to the automatic abort of the Artemis II wet-dress test, delaying the mission's launch.
- NASA officials explain that the complexity of the hydrogen interface and the low flight rate make each launch an experimental process.
- The high cost of SLS components limits extensive testing, and its infrequent flight rate leads to higher operating costs and safety concerns.
- NASA's new administrator acknowledged the low flight rate as a significant issue.
- Private rockets like SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn are advancing more rapidly than the SLS program.