Originally developed for joining aluminum, friction stir welding is now being applied to other materials, including steel, copper, titanium and even nylon.
When it’s finished, NASA’s massive new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will be truly awe-inspiring.
Designed to carry crew and cargo on exploration missions to deep space, including Mars, the Block 1 configuration of the rocket will have a liftoff weight of 5.75 million pounds, comparable to eight fully loaded 747 jets. It will stand 322 feet high, making it taller than the Statue of Liberty. It will be able to carry 9,000 to 22,000 cubic feet of cargo and have a payload capacity of 154,000 pounds. At liftoff, the rocket will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust, more than 31 times the total thrust of a 747 jet and 15 percent more thrust than the Saturn V. The rocket will be able to go from zero to 17,500 miles per hour in a little more than 8 minutes after liftoff.