Space launch system (SLS) is a new American heavy-lift launch vehicle that is being designed to provide a sustainable and affordable means of accessing space. The SLS will enable NASA to meet its long-term goals of human exploration of Mars and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit (LEO).
The Space Launch System is being designed to be the most powerful rocket ever built, capable of carrying humans farther into space than ever before. The SLS will have the capability to lift 130 metric tons (140 short tons) to LEO and beyond, making it the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. In addition, the SLS will be able to launch payloads weighing up to 30 metric tons (33 short tons) directly into geostationary orbit (GEO), making it an unparalleled tool for science and exploration.
The first stage of the SLS, known as the Core Stage, will be powered by four RS-25 engines – modified versions of the Space Shuttle Main Engines – burning cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The Core Stage will stand approximately 200 feet tall and contain more than 730,000 gallons (2.8 million liters) of propellant. It will generate 2 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
Flanking the Core Stage on either side will be a pair of solid rocket boosters (SRBs), providing additional thrust during liftoff. Each SRB is approximately 149 feet long and 12 feet in diameter, with a weight of approximately 1.1 million pounds each when fully loaded with propellant prior to launch. The SRBs are not recoverable or reusable like their Space Shuttle predecessors; however, they are significantly cheaper to produce than their shuttle counterparts were.