SLS Core Stage Barrel Tooling at NASA Michoud Facility

Barrel tools at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
Precision barrel tooling for the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage is positioned on the production floor at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. This specialized infrastructure is crucial for the assembly of the massive rocket, which supports the Artemis missions to the Moon. The fixtures precisely hold large aluminum panels during the friction stir welding process, ensuring the perfect alignment and uniform curvature required for the rocket’s cylindrical sections. NASA Michoud Assembly Facility has a long history of producing large-scale space structures, including components for the Saturn V and Space Shuttle programs. In the background, a completed barrel segment awaits further integration, highlighting the facility's ongoing contribution to space exploration. Related photographs from the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where NASA’s Space Launch System core stages are assembled for Artemis missions.
Photo taken in August 2018.
Photo Part Of
NASA Artemis SLS Rocket Factory
41 photos • 2018
Map
OpenStreetMap Google Maps
More from NASA Artemis SLS Rocket Factory
Futuramic Gore Weld Tool
Futuramic Gore Weld Tool
At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, Boeing engineers operate a PAR Systems I-STIR Friction-Stir Welder. This specialized…
NASA Michoud: Yellow Rocket Assembly Cranes
NASA Michoud: Yellow Rocket Assembly Cranes
An elevated platform provides a perspective of the overhead gantry crane system within NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans,…
Mission Patch Hallway, NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans
Mission Patch Hallway, NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans
A corridor at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, displays a collection of mission patches and crew insignias.…
Boeing SLS Core Stage Dome Section, NASA Michoud
Boeing SLS Core Stage Dome Section, NASA Michoud
A completed dome section for the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage is staged outside the Boeing production area at…
Robotic Friction Stir Welding Cell for SLS at NASA Michoud
Robotic Friction Stir Welding Cell for SLS at NASA Michoud
At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, a robotic friction stir welding cell, developed by Genesis Systems Group…
Orion Crew Module Mid-Assembly at NASA Michoud
Orion Crew Module Mid-Assembly at NASA Michoud
The Orion crew module is shown during its assembly at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. This critical…
Nearby Photos

Built in Minneapolis

Photographs showcasing change over time

Browse by location, move through long-running series, or start with recent work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis