Designed to take humans beyond Earth's orbit and into Mars, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) is the largest and most powerful rocket booster ever built. After a successful ground test, the SLS is ready to take to the skies and further test its capabilities.
While no exact launch date has been set for the SLS, the system is being prepared to handle some serious multi-tasking as NASA utilizes its massive lift capability to take nano-satellites into space. It will carry out almost a dozen science experiments beyond low Earth orbit.
When the SLS does launch, it will take an unmanned Orion spacecraft to a retrograde orbit to fly around the moon. The nano-satellites will be tucked inside the stage adapter, the ring connecting the spacecraft to the propulsion stage of the SLS.
Jody Singer, the Flight Programs and Partnerships Office manager at Alabama's Marshall Space Flight Center, said NASA is taking full advantage of the chance to conduct science beyond the primary focus of the Exploration Mission-1. While there is no doubt that the SLS will allow beyond-Earth-orbit missions, accommodating the nano-satellites is a step toward increasing its scientific and exploration capability.
"The rocket will be the strongest ever built by NASA and we want to take advantage of that design ... and provide the science community an opportunity they haven't had before," added Joseph Pelfrey, Marshall's Exploration and Space Transportation Development Office deputy manager.
Around 10 minutes after the SLS and Orion pull away from Earth's gravity, they will disconnect. Orion will head toward the moon, and once a safe distance has been achieved, the nano-satellites will deploy — each one released at a different time, depending on the requirements of their particular experiments.
So far, three experiments have been chosen to hitch a ride on SLS' first launch: Near-Earth Asteroid Scout, BioSentinel and Lunar Flashlight. NEA Scout and Lunar Flashlight will be developed by science and engineering teams from Marshall while BioSentinel will be managed by the NASA Ames Research Center.
Exploration Mission-1 will act as proving ground for the integration of the SLS and the Orion spacecraft. The results of the launch will give designers the information they need to move forward with further developing the vehicle, as well as proving the ability of the SLS to accommodate and deploy experiments yielding valuable results for science.
