Space Launch System (SLS): Artemis I, Evolution, and Capability

Human exploration beyond low earth orbit (LEO) has been a long-term goal of the United States and the international community since the end of the Apollo program, and we are now moving along the path to return to the lunar surface. To achieve this goal, NASA has been developing the Orion crew capsule and Space Launch System (SLS) as key elements in the architecture designed to advance human spaceflight from our current capability in LEO to eventually landing humans on Mars. This ambitious exploration campaign is being undertaken using an incremental approach, complicated by the need to optimize the use of precious public financial resources during a period when budgets are challenged. Defining and prioritizing the technology and hardware needed is crucial to achieving the goal of landing humans on Mars. This step-by-step approach is supported by the heavy-lift capability of SLS, necessary to deliver the large components necessary to live in space, land on the moon, and eventually travel away from Earth's vicinity. The first flight of SLS, Artemis I, launched fall 2022, validating the initial configuration and capability of the vehicle. Data from that test flight shows how well the components performed, setting the stage for the return of humans to the surface of the moon.