Space Launch System Photography | Chad Davis Photography

Looking down from the top of the Vertical Assembly Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.

Nasa Rocket Factory

Artemis, Michoud Assembly Facility, Nasa, New Orleans, SLS, Space Launch System / July 24, 2019

In 2018, I was given the rare opportunity by NASA take photos inside their Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. NASA MAF is home to the assembly of the Space Launch System rocket being built to send the Orion Spacecraft into space. The Artemis 1 mission was successfully completed on December 11th, 2022 after being launched 25 days earlier on November 16th. Artemis II is scheduled to be the firest manned mission that will send four astronauts on a lunar flyby for 21 days. The current launch date is November 2024.

Verticle Assembly Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility

Artemis, Michoud Assembly Facility, Nasa, NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, SLS, Space, Space Exploration, Space Launch System, Vertical Assembly Center / August 5, 2018

Looking down from the top of the Vertical Assembly Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.

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.

NASA’s welding tool, the worlds largest

Artemis, Michoud Assembly Facility, Nasa, NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, SLS, Space, Space Exploration, Space Launch System, Vertical Assembly Center, Welder / August 5, 2018

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.

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/

Welding tool inside NASA Michoud Assembly Facility

Artemis, Michoud Assembly Facility, Nasa, SLS, Space, Space Exploration, Space Launch System, Welding / August 5, 2018

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

Artemis, Michoud Assembly Facility, Nasa, SLS, Space, Space Exploration, Space Launch System / August 5, 2018

The “Wall of Missions” at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.

Vertical Weld Center at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility

Artemis, Michoud Assembly Facility, Nasa, SLS, Space, Space Exploration, Space Launch System, Welding / August 5, 2018

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.