Over the past two weeks, NASA has been hoisting a 103-ton component onto a simulator in preparation for upcoming Moon missions. This interstage simulator component was fitted onto the Thad Cochran Test Stand at Stennis Space Center to mimic the SLS part that will protect the rocket’s upper stage during planned Artemis launches. The testing center at Stennis Space Center is where NASA ensures the SLS components are safe and functioning correctly before going into space. The new section installed onto the testing center will support the SLS’s EUS in the latest design iteration, offering a larger payload capacity. This interstage section will protect electrical and propulsion systems and absorb hot fire thrust from the EUS. NASA’s testing at Stennis Space Center will prepare the SLS for the Artemis IV mission, where astronauts will travel to the Lunar Gateway space station and descend to the Moon’s surface in the Starship HLS lunar lander. The installation process can be seen in a video provided below.
