NASA Michoud Assembly Facility Space Tool
Looking down from the top of NASA’s 170ft space tool that will weld together barrels, domes and tanks for the Space Launch System (SLS) at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.
NASA’s welding tool, the worlds largest
NASA’s welding tool, one of the world’s largest. The massive tool was designed and built to weld together the domes, rings, and barrels that make up the core stage pieces of the Space Launch System (SLS). The size of this thing can’t be described or shown in a photo.
Welding tool inside NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
A welding tool inside NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility where the Space Launch System(SLS) is being built.
https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/
Wall of Missions at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
The “Wall of Missions” at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.
Vertical Weld Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
The Vertical Weld Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility is a friction-stir-weld tool for wet and dry structures on the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage. It will weld barrel panels together to produce whole barrels for the two pressurized tanks, the intertank, the forward skirt and the aft engine section.
NASA Vertical Assembly Center (VAC) , Michoud Assembly Facility
Inside the Vertical Assembly Center at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility.
Vertical Assembly Center stairs
Stairway inside the vertical assembly center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility where the Artemis spacecraft is being built.
NASA Michoud Assembly Facilty Vertical Assembly center
Indide the Verticle Assembly Center (VAC) at NASA Michoud where Space Launch System rocket and Artemis is being built.
SLS Forward Skirt at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
The Forward Skirt is part of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). Housing flight computers, cameras and avionics it is pretty much the brain of the rocket. This photo was taken a couple weeks after it’s final assembly was completed at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility.
On NASA’s Pegasus Barge
Nasa’s Pegasus barge that will carry fuel tanks for the Space Launch System to other NASA facilities for testing and launches.
More Info:
NASA Infographic: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/multimedia/barge-pegasus-infographic
Pegasus Barge Fact Sheet: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/sls_pegasus_fact_sheet_508_final_04212017.pdf
Outside the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
The NASA logo on the side of Michoud Assembly Facility where the Space Launch System (SLS) for Artemis is being built.
NASA Vertical Assembly Center, Michoud
The large Space Launch System print on the wall was placed there to show what is being built in this room.
Space Robots at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
Manufacturing robots at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility.
Space Launch System: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/
NASA SA Cone Spacecraft Adapter Cone
Space hardware that will launch with Artemis I on Monday August 29th, 2022. The mission is the first planned launch of the Artemis space program that hopes to bring people back to the moon.
As of March 2024 the launch date is planned for September 2024. It’ll be the first crewed mission of the Orion Spacecraft and will do a moon flyby. It’ll be the first crew to travel beyond low orbit earth since 1972.
Verticle Assembly Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
Looking down from the top of the Vertical Assembly Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.
Liquid Oxygen Tank at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
A Liquid Oxygen tank being worked on inside Cell A at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. It’s part of the Space Launch System Core Stage. The tank will hold 195,000 gallons of liquid oxygen cooled to -297 degrees Fahrenheit.
Inside the Vertical Weld Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facilit
Inside the Vertical Weld Center. The friction-stir-weld tool for wet and dry structures on the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage. It will weld barrel panels together to produce whole barrels for the two pressurized tanks, the intertank, the forward skirt and the aft engine section.
More Info: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/
Artemis II Crew Module at Michoud Assembly Facility
NASA”s Artemis II crew module at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility.
As of March 2024 the launch date is planned for September 2024. It’ll be the first crewed mission of the Orion Spacecraft and will do a moon flyby. It’ll be the first crew to travel beyond low orbit earth since 1972.
Crew Module, Exploration Mission 2
The crew module being built for Artemis II at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.
As of March 2024 the launch date is planned for September 2024. It’ll be the first crewed mission of the Orion Spacecraft and will do a moon flyby. It’ll be the first crew to travel beyond low orbit earth since 1972.
Barrel tools at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
Barrel tools at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility where the Space Launch System is being built.
More Info: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/