Northrop Grumman has shipped the final eight twin solid rocket booster motor segments for NASA’s Artemis III mission to Kennedy Space Center, marking a key milestone in preparation for the mission. The boosters will support NASA’s plans for sustained lunar exploration as part of the Artemis programme.
The segments will be stacked for launch alongside previously delivered hardware, forming a critical component of the Space Launch System (SLS) that will power the Artemis III mission. The mission will send astronauts and cargo aboard the Orion spacecraft and support future human landing operations.
Upon arrival, the booster segments will join the previously delivered segments shipped in April to be the first hardware assembled on the mobile launch platform.
Northrop Grumman’s industry-leading solid rocket boosters generate 7.2 million pounds of thrust at lift-off, providing much of the thrust needed for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) during the Artemis III mission, which will send astronauts and critical cargo aboard the Orion spacecraft to test rendezvous operations in low-Earth orbit with human landing systems.
With uniquely equipped facilities and a highly skilled workforce, the company can accelerate solid rocket motor production to meet NASA’s increased Artemis mission launch cadence while supporting broader national security and space exploration objectives.
