Engineers at RUAG Space USA completed a test article for the development of the Space Launch System rocket universal stage adapter and delivered it to Dynetics, lead contractor for the adapter, in Huntsville, Alabama. The test article consists of four structurally representative adapter panels which NASA and Dynetics will assemble and bond together in the first half of 2022. After assembly and inspection is complete, teams will ship the test article to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville later this year to begin initial structural testing. Marshall engines also have designed and will soon build a prototype payload adapter to support large payloads inside the USA. Planned for a first flight during Artemis IV on the upgraded, evolvable Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket, the adapter connects the Exploration Upper Stage to the Orion spacecraft. Beyond linking the rocket and spacecraft, it acts as a payload storage compartment, accommodating large payloads, such as logistics modules or other exploration spacecraft.
Image Credit: Dynetics