More big progress made this week building our rocket for future human missions to deep space! This will be a pinnacle year for NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility (VAC) in New Orleans, as all welding for the structural backbone of NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), will be completed this summer in preparation for its first flight in 2018. NASA’s first uncrewed test flight with #Orion atop #SLS is critical to paving the way for future flights with astronauts to deep space, including on a journey to Mars. The structural backbone of SLS is the core stage, which will tower more than 200 feet tall and store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will feed the vehicle’s four RS-25 engines. Pictured here, an engine section weld confidence article is taken off the VAC at #Michoud. Credits: NASA/Michoud/Steven Seipel #NASA #progress #deepspace #rockets #rocketscience #building #manufacturing #NOLA #journeytomars