![]() STS-128 launched to the International Space Station on that same day in 2009, 13 years ago. That last flight may carry significance if Artemis 1 lifts off on its first launch attempt, currently scheduled for Monday (Aug. The same component also flew on the ill-fated last launch of orbiter Columbia (STS-107) and most recently with Discovery on STS-128. The oldest component, the aft skirt on the I-A booster, first flew with the maiden flight of the space shuttle Discovery, STS-41D, in 1984. The left (I-A) and right (I-B) side boosters include hardware previously used in the launch of 73 shuttle missions, including all but three of the flights flown by the four Artemis 1 RS-25 engines. The left (I-A) and right (I-B) side solid rocket boosters flying on Artemis 1 include hardware that was previously used in the launch of 73 space shuttle missions. Based on the shuttle boosters, the major difference between the shuttle and SLS hardware is the addition of a fifth solid propellant segment to the four-segment shuttle booster, allowing SLS to send more weight to trans-lunar injection than the shuttle lofted to low-Earth orbit.įor Artemis 1, the SLS solid rocket boosters (opens in new tab) were built up from aft skirts, thrust vector control elements, metal cases and forward structures that were previously flown with the shuttle. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman, the SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful solid propellant motors ever built for flight. Together, the boosters and engines produce more thrust at liftoff than any prior U.S. Related: NASA's space shuttle program in pictures: A tribute Case historyĪt T-0 in the Artemis 1 countdown, about six seconds after the four RS-25 engines fire, the two side-mounted solid rocket boosters ignite. The core stage will break apart on reentry and drop any surviving parts into the Pacific Ocean. The core stage's size, as well as its altitude and speed at engine cutoff, made recovery impractical without making a significant sacrifice in cargo-carrying capability. Unlike their use on the shuttle, the Artemis 1 RS-25 engines will not be recovered for reuse. ![]() ![]() The fourth RS-25 flying on Artemis 1, engine 2060, was flight proven on three space shuttle launches, including STS-131, a station resupply flight and two of the missions flown with engine 2045 - STS-127 and STS-135. Harmony node and Japanese Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station (STS-120 and STS-124), as well as the final flight of the orbiter Discovery (STS-133). In position 2 (bottom left), engine 2056 earlier launched on four shuttle missions, including the installation of the Quest airlock for the International Space Station (STS-104) the fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission (STS-109) and the two return to flight missions after the loss of space shuttle Columbia (STS-114 and STS-121).Įngine 2058 in position 3 (bottom right) was part of six shuttle missions, including the delivery of the U.S. ![]() Among the flights it helped launch was Mercury astronaut John Glenn's return to flight (STS-95) the 100th space shuttle flight (STS-92) the delivery of Japan's exposed facility to the International Space Station (STS-127) and the final shuttle mission (STS-135). #Nasa space shuttle photo serial numbers#In addition to the development of a new controller and software, the four engines flying on Artemis 1 also have additional insulation on their nozzles to protect them from the exhaust of the solid rocket boosters.Īll four of the RS-25 engines (opens in new tab) installed on the Artemis 1 core stage - serial numbers 2045, 2056, 20 - have history with the space shuttle flying into low-Earth orbit.Įngine 2045, installed in position 1 (at top left when viewed from below), first flew on 12 shuttle missions spanning 13 years, from 1998 through 2011. The four Artemis 1 Space Launch System RS-25 engines first flew on 21 space shuttle missions. ![]()
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