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NASA’s new deep space exploration

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system has begun its journey

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right here on Earth, in all 50

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states and several European

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countries. The pieces of the

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Space Launch System rocket that

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will send Orion farther than

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humans have ever been before

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during Exploration Mission One

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are nearing completion. All

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these parts will ultimately be

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brought together at Kennedy Space

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Center with Orion, which is

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currently being prepared for the

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mission. They’ll make one enormous

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rocket powerful enough to take

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astronauts and cargo to the Moon

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in a single launch. Or send robotic

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probes deep into the solar system

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to make amazing discoveries.

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When you’re designing, testing and

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building the rocket that will take

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astronauts back to the Moon,

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there really are a lot of small

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steps to get from here to there.

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But those small steps add up to

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some really big rocket pieces.

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So where are we?

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Near the top of the rocket, the

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interim cryogenic propulsion stage

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will give Orion a push toward

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the Moon. But its job isn’t done

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there. It will separate from Orion

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and 13 CubeSats – little spacecraft

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and science missions about the

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size of a shoebox – will be

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released into deep space from

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the Orion Stage Adapter.

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These little hitchhikers will

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each have their own mission.

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Some will be going to the Moon,

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one will study space weather

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and one’s going to rendezvous an

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asteroid! These parts of the

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rocket are finished and ready to go.

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There’s another adapter that

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Partially covers the interim

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cryogenic propulsion stage and

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connects the core stage to the

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upper part of the rocket: the

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Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter.

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Workers are putting the finishing

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touches on this adapter.

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Next we come to the core stage,

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the backbone of the rocket.

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Engineers at Michoud Assembly

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Facility near New Orleans have

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built the five big components of

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the stage, including the

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enormous fuel tanks. Now they’re

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outfitting the insides with

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computers, electrical cables and

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everything else the core stage

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will need. And then they’ll

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join the pieces together.

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At the bottom of the core stage

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are the four RS-25 engines that

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use liquid hydrogen and liquid

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oxygen stored in the core stage

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tanks. Those engines are ready

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now. They‘ve got the latest

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computers installed and they’re go.

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Attached to the side of the core

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stage are two solid rocket

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boosters. They provide most of

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the thrust, or the big push, to

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get SLS to space.

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The central section of the

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boosters, where the propellant

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is stored, are the motors.

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They’re also complete.

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The top and bottom – or forward

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and aft, in rocketspeak -- parts

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of the boosters are still being

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readied for flight; they’ll

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soon be done too.

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So, interim cryogenic propulsion

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stage: GO

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Orion Stage Adapter: GO

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Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter: READY

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Four RS-25 engines: They’re a GO

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Solid rocket motors: GO

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Forward and aft booster structures:

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They’ll soon be done too.

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The core stage major structures

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are GO and the interiors are

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moving toward final assembly.

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Next time, we’ll take a closer

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look at putting it all together,

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because all roads lead to

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Kennedy Space Center, where

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Exploration Mission One will all

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come together.

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Until then, I’m Stephen Granade,

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reminding you that there are