NASA has awarded a contract to produce boosters for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to support nine SLS flights to Northrop Grumman of Brigham City. Northrop Grumman, the NASA’s leading booster contractor, has produced booster motors for the first three Artemis human spaceflight missions and is casting the motors for the fourth lunar mission.
The contract, with a value of $3.19 billion, confirms a letter contract awarded in June 2020 that authorized Northrop Grumman to order long-lead items and build twin boosters for the next six SLS flights. The period of the contract extends through Dec. 31, 2031. This includes production and operations for boosters for Artemis IV-VIII and design, development, testing and evaluation of a booster as part of Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) for Artemis IX.
“This contract award ensures NASA will have the most powerful solid rocket boosters ever built for future Space Launch System rockets for the Artemis missions to the moon,” said Bruce Tiller, SLS booster manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “The contract allows NASA to work with Northrop Grumman to not only build the boosters for upcoming missions but also to evolve and improve the boosters for future flights.”
The twin solid booster rockets, which are mounted on the side of the SLS core stage, produce more than 75 percent of the thrust for each SLS launch. As part of this contract, the Utah team will also design and test evolved boosters needed for flights starting with the ninth SLS mission.