NASA Taps Northrop to Produce Rocket Boosters for Future SLS Flights

NASA has awarded Northrop Grumman a potential 10-year, $49.5M contract to manufacture long-lead items for twin rocket boosters to support additional Space Launch System missions.

The Boosters Production and Operations contract covers initial funding for the solid-rocket boosters designed to power SLS as it undertakes six more flights to deep space, NASA said Monday.

Northrop is the primary contractor for the booster production effort, which was launched to support the three initial Artemis missions including the planned Moon landing in 2024.

John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said NASA intends to procure long-lead materials to meet the manufacturing schedule for the fourth SLS flight. 

The agency expects to finalize the letter contract next year and use the additional boosters to power SLS missions 4 to 9. Contract work is slated to take place through Dec. 31, 2030.

Earlier this month, Northrop delivered 10 booster segments to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration activities ahead of the Artemis II and III missions.

NASA also awarded a $1.79B contract to Aerojet Rocketdyne in May for the production of 18 additional RS-25 cryogenic engines to support future SLS flights.