NASA’s moon program has been a boon for Boeing, which manufactures the core stage, or the main part of the massive Space Launch System rocket that the agency uses to launch its Orion capsule to the moon.
Last week, NASA announced that it had finalized a contract with Boeing, worth $3.2 billion, to continue manufacturing main stages and manufacture a new upper stage for future missions.
“NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is the only rocket capable of sending large cargos and soon, astronauts to the Moon,” John Honeycutt, NASA’s SLS Program manager, said in a statement. “The SLS core stage is the backbone of NASA’s Moon rocket, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust at launch, and the addition of the exploration upper stage will enable NASA to support missions to deep space through the 2030s.”
