The ICPS will be used for the first three Artemis missions.

The Block 1 configuration uses twin solid rocket boosters and an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). For the Artemis I flight, NASA will use the Block 1 configuration, which can launch over 59,500 pounds to the Moon and beyond! According to NASA, all SLS configurations will similarly utilize a core stage with four RS-25 engines. NASA’s SLS is designed to evolve into more powerful configurations as the missions demand. The SLS is NASA’s exploration class rocket, and it has been carefully crafted to go farther, faster, carry heavier payloads, and travel to more destinations than ever before. That’s why NASA designed and developed the SLS to be even more mighty than Apollo’s Saturn V. This rocket will return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024, and propel humans farther into deep space, to Mars and beyond! To do that, you need a powerful rocket. The SLS is preparing for its fast-approaching debut with the upcoming Artemis I flight. It will make sure all systems are a “go” for future crewed exploration missions to the Moon. The Artemis I mission will be the first integrated test flight for NASA’s SLS, Orion, and the Exploration Ground Systems. This week, we are exploring NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world. Take a closer look at the upcoming Artemis I flight, a mission that will pave the way for future lunar exploration, in our newest blog series. A new era of space exploration has begun, and with it a new rocket designed to launch humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Sls rocket