NASA has awarded Northrop Grumman a $3.19 billion contract for solid rocket boosters to power its Space Launch System (SLS) on future lunar missions through 2031. While other providers may support later flights, this deal ensures reliable propulsion for key Artemis program launches.
NASA's most powerful rocket since the Apollo era, the SLS has been in development since 2011. This orange-and-white behemoth is set to launch crews to the Moon starting in 2025 and potentially pave the way for Mars missions. Though ambitious, its high cost—around $2 billion per launch—and non-reusable boosters position it as a transitional powerhouse, bridging to commercial alternatives like SpaceX.
Don't count out the SLS just yet. Experts anticipate it will remain essential for years to come.
This latest contract expands on a 2020 $50 million agreement that prepared Northrop Grumman to produce boosters for six SLS flights following Artemis 3, extending through Artemis 9. "The contract allows NASA to work with Northrop Grumman not only to build the boosters for future missions, but also to evolve and improve the boosters for future flights," said Bruce Tiller, SLS boosters manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
SLS boosters draw from proven solid rocket technology used on the Space Shuttle from 1981 to 2011. Originally developed by Thiokol (later Orbital ATK), the tech was acquired by Northrop Grumman. Recently, the company completed boosters for Artemis 2, slated for a crewed lunar flyby in 2023 or 2024. Meanwhile, NASA's Artemis 1 uncrewed mission is targeted for next February.
Northrop Grumman also supports Artemis with contracts for Orion's launch abort system engines and a module for the planned lunar orbit station.
