The forward cone for a test version of the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) — part of NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System — is lifted out of a weld tool following completion of eight vertical welds on the hardware at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The forward and aft rings also have been completed for the structural test article. The LVSA will connect two major sections — the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) – of the SLS. The LVSA structural test article will be stacked with other prototypes of the upper part of the rocket and tested in early 2016 at Marshall to verify the integrity of the hardware and ensure it can withstand the loads it may experience during flight. Teledyne Brown Engineering of Huntsville is the prime contractor on the LVSA work. Watch a video on the latest progress.
Image Credit: NASA/MSFC