Although NASA’s Artemis program could ultimately abandon the space-launching system rocket, for now, the Melbourne-based L3Harris is moving forward with the production of the core stage engines of the powerful rocket.
The SLS core stage is the engine of the Space Shuttle Program, which has acquired £2 million of thrust from four RS-25 engines and, in the first four Artemis missions, is the engine of the Space Shuttle Program, which was renovated by the Aerojet Rocketdyne, acquired by the L3 Harris in 2023.
The first engine produced for the fifth mission was built from scratch after the space shuttle supply was exhausted and is now in the hands of NASA. On Friday, the engine, called the 20001, suffered a hot fire of 8 1/2 minutes at a test stand at NASA’s Tennis Space Center in Mississippi.
That period is equal to the time the engine burns when it fires when the Artemis V is off the ground. The engine was also cranked up to 111% of its power.
“This successful acceptance test demonstrates the performance and reliability of the RS-25, and incorporates the latest manufacturing technology and upgraded components such as the main combustion chamber, nozzle and pogo accumulator assembly.”
So far, NASA has flew one SLS with Artemis I Mission in 2022. The four RS-25 engines feature a core stage paired with two solid rocket boosters from Northrop Grumman, creating a 8.8 million pound thrust on the lift-off. It remains the most powerful rocket ever to reach orbit. The heavier it is with SpaceX’s spacecraft, almost doubled, but so far only intraorbital tests have been released.
The Artemis II, the first crew of Orion Spacecraft, is scheduled to be launched on top of the SLS on its second flight by April 2026, but will not be able to land on the moon. The lunar landing mission is expected to come with an Artemis III, which is scheduled to fly by the summer of 2027, but a practical version of the spacecraft is required to act as a human landing system.
Although Artemis IV and V are listed on the 2028 and 2029 roadmap, the use of SLS aims to eliminate President Trump’s proposed NASA budget for 2026.
However, Sen. Ted Cruz rebutted the budget proposal in a call to recover funds at least through Artemis V, including savings on the Gateway Moon space station, which was also targeted by Trump’s budget proposal.
So, Artemis’ future may change, but L3Harris will continue to build the contracted engine. The RS-25 will be manufactured in California.
According to L3HARRIS, using update processes such as 3D printing, newly manufactured engines are 30% cheaper than engines produced and renovated due to the shuttle program. A test version of the new engine design has passed the 12-stage certified series completed last year, paving the way for operational engine production.
NASA has already ordered up to 24 new engines on top of 16 renovated shuttle-era engines that support flights through the ninth Artemis. The orders totaled $3.5 billion, which is about $145 million per engine.
Each engine is tested at NASA’s Tennis and sent to the Mikudo Assembly facility in New Orleans, where the core stage is manufactured by Boeing. Starting with the Artemis III, the core stage parts will be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center for the final assembly.
“The second Artemis v Engine is scheduled for eagerly this year, with the other two engines set to Hot Fire next year,” a spokesperson for L3Harris said.
The L3HARRIS also produces a single RL-10 engine used on both tops of the Artemis I-III, but it also produces a more powerful European upper stage, which uses four RL-10 engines since the Artemis IV.
These engines are manufactured at the company’s West Palm Beach facility, which has been building and testing rocket engines for over 60 years.
“Our propulsion technology is key to ensuring the US leads in the lunar exploration, creating a sustained presence in the moon and does not give this strategic frontier to other countries,” Houston said.
Original issue: June 24th, 2025, 11:52am EDT
