NASA spent October hoisting a 103-ton section of the simulator onto a test stand to prepare it for the upcoming mission to the Moon.

NASA spent the last two weeks. hoist a 103-tonne component into a simulator and installing it to help prepare for upcoming missions to the Moon. Teams installed the interstage simulator component on the Thad Cochran test stand at the Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The connecting section mimics the same SLS (Space Launch System) part that will help protect the rocket's upper stage, which will power the Orion spacecraft on its planned Artemis launches.

The Thad Cochran Testbed is where NASA installs SLS components and conducts extensive testing to ensure they are safe and perform as intended in the versions flying in space. The new section was installed at the B-2 position of the test center and is now equipped with all necessary pipes, tubes and electrical systems for future tests.

The interstage section will protect the propulsion and electrical systems and support the EUS (Exploration Upper Stage) of the SLS in the rocket's latest design iteration, Block 1B. It will replace the current version of the Block 1 and offer a 40 percent larger payload. The EUS will carry 38 tons of crewed cargo or 42 tons unmanned, compared to 27 tons of crew and cargo in the Block 1 iteration. (Progress!) Four RL10 engines, manufactured by contractor L3Harris, will power the new EUS.

The interstage simulator section that NASA installed in mid-October weighs 103 tons and measures 31 feet in diameter and 33 feet high. The upper part of the section will absorb the thrust from the hot fire of the EUS and transfer it back to the test stand so that it does not collapse under the more than 97,000 pounds of thrust from the four engines.