Design review of Michoud-built EUS

Boeing has completed a design review of its exploration upper stage (EUS) of a rocket built in support of NASA's Artemis I mission to the moon and beyond. Boeing will begin its transition to the hardware-build phase. On Dec. 21, Boeing indicated that the milestone marks the development of the Space Launch System's EUS, with Boeing having started fabrication efforts in support of the initial EUS production at the Michoud Assembly Facility in East New Orleans, La. The EUS is designed to work with the SLS Block 1B variant. The EUS will house four RL-10 engines and large fuel tanks to ferry the Orion spacecraft, crew and more than 10 metric tons of cargo to the moon or other space destinations. EUS will provide additional lift capability that will require “fewer flights to enable a sustained human presence in deep space sooner and more safely," said Steve Snell, EUS program manager. The SLS system's Block 1 variant will launch an unmanned Orion craft with the use of an interim cryogenic propulsion stage manufactured by United Launch Alliance and Boeing for a test flight to the moon. (Source: Executive Biz 12/22/20)