Scientific and Human Exploration Opportunities Enabled by the Space Launch System

What is it about?

The NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Launch Vehicle with Orion will provide the capability of achieving human exploration, operations and science objectives for a variety of Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) missions, including Crewed cis-lunar missions in the 2020s and Crewed Mars missions in the 2030s. The SLS program is in the production and test phase. There are three SLS configurations: the Block 1, 1B and Block 2. The uprated Block 1B version will feature a new Exploration Upper Stage (EUS); the EUS is under contract and is in the development phase. In this report the Block 1B configuration and the EUS will be described along with some representative missions that take advantage of this larger, higher performing stage.

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