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As NASA works to develop all the systems needed to return astronauts to the Moon under its Artemis campaign for the benefit of all, the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will be responsible for launching astronauts on their journey. With the liquid oxygen tank now fully welded, all of the major structures that will form the core stage for the SLS rocket for the agency\u2019s Artemis III mission are ready for additional outfitting. The hardware will be a part of the rocket used for the first of the Artemis missions planning to land astronauts on the Moon\u2019s surface near the lunar South Pole. Technicians finished welding the 51-foot liquid oxygen tank structure inside the Vertical Assembly Building at NASA\u2019s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans Jan. 8.
The mega rocket\u2019s other giant propellant tank \u2013 the liquid hydrogen tank \u2013 is already one fully welded structure. NASA and Boeing, the SLS core stage lead contractor, are currently priming the tank \u00a0in another cell within the Vertical Assembly Building area called the Building 131 cryogenic tank thermal protection system and primer application complex. It completed internal cleaning Nov. 14.<\/p>\n
Manufacturing hardware is a multi-step process that includes welding, washing, and, later, outfitting hardware.The internal cleaning process is similar to a shower to ensure contaminants do not find their way into the stage\u2019s complex propulsion and engine systems prior to priming. Once internal cleaning is complete, primer is applied to the external portions of the tank\u2019s barrel section and domes by an automated robotic tool. Following primer, technicians apply a foam-based thermal protection system to shield it from the extreme temperatures it will face during launch and flight while also regulating the super-chilled propellant within.<\/p>\n \n