Purpose of the Space Launch System
The Space Launch System (SLS) is NASA's heavy-lift rocket designed to send crewed and uncrewed missions beyond low Earth orbit, particularly for Artemis lunar missions and other deep-space objectives.
SLS roles include:
- Launching the Orion spacecraft on crewed lunar missions.
- Delivering large payloads, modules, and infrastructure to cislunar space.
- Supporting flagship science missions requiring high-capacity launch.
Design and capabilities
- SLS variants offer different payload capacities depending on booster and upper-stage configurations.
- The system emphasizes high performance and human-rating safety standards for crewed missions.
SLS provides a government-owned heavy-lift capability to execute prioritized deep-space exploration missions in coordination with commercial partners and international collaborators.