NASA has announced that the first test flight of its new Space Launch System rocket is to be held by November 2018 at the latest. The SLS program was set up to eventually bring people and materials to Mars.
The Space Launch System rocket is set to become the largest launch vehicle ever built. Compared to the Saturn V rocket, which took astronauts to the moon, the rocket should have 20 percent more propulsion power.
The first unmanned test rocket that NASA is working on, to be launched by November 2018 at the latest, should have a payload of 70,000 to 77,000 kg and a height of 97.5 meters. The SLS rocket will, among other things, have to launch an Orion capsule into space. Between 2014 and 2018, an amount of 7 billion dollars, converted 5.3 billion euros, has been earmarked for the development and construction of this rocket. Boeing, among others, will supply parts for the rocket.
Ultimately, NASA wants to build a 122 meter high rocket that will allow a payload of 130,000 kg. With such a launch vehicle, the space agency hopes to be able to send people and material to Mars around 2030. This project is expected to consume tens of billions of dollars in the coming decades.