Constructing a new ride
The newly assembled first liquid hydrogen tank, also called the qualification test article, for NASA’s new Space Launch System rocket lies horizontally beside the Vertical
Assembly Center robotic weld machine (blue) on July 22. It was lifted out of the welder after final welding was completed at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans. Credit: Ken Kremer/www.kenkremer.com
NASA’s deep space rocket takes shape in New Orleans
By Ken Kremer
NASA has finished welding together the very
first fuel tank for America’s humongous Space
Launch System (SLS) deep space rocket currently under development. RocketSTEM had an
up close look at the liquid hydrogen (LH2) test
tank shortly after its birth as well as the first flight
tank, within hours of completion of the milestone
assembly operation at NASA’s Michoud rocket
manufacturing facility located in New Orleans.
“We have just finished welding the first liquid
hydrogen qualification tank article … and are in
the middle of production welding of the first liquid
hydrogen flight hardware tank [for EM-1] in the
big Vertical Assembly Center welder,” explained
Patrick Whipps, NASA SLS Stages Element Manager during our tour of the massive factory.
“We are literally putting the SLS rocket hardware together here at last. All five elements to
put the SLS stages together [at Michoud].”
This first fully welded SLS liquid hydrogen tank
44
44
is known as a qualification test article. It was assembled using basically the same components
and processing procedures as an actual flight
tank, said Whipps.
“We just completed the liquid hydrogen qualification tank article and lifted it out of the welding
machine and put it into some cradles. We will put
it into a newly designed straddle carrier article
next week to transport it around safely and reliably for further work.”
Welding of the liquid hydrogen flight tank is
moving along well.
“We will be complete with all SLS core stage
flight tank welding in the VAC by the end of
September,” added Jackie Nesselroad, SLS Boeing manager at Michoud. “It’s coming up very
quickly!”
“The welding of the forward dome to barrel
1 on the liquid hydrogen flight tank is complete.
And we are doing phased array ultrasonic testing
right now.”
www.RocketSTEM .org