If astronauts ever set foot on Mars, they’ll get there with the help of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built.
The SLS is designed to take astronauts further into space than ever before and provide the cornerstone for future human space exploration. Intended to replace the Space Shuttle, the SLS will have a total thrust greater than that of the Saturn V, the rocket that took astronauts to the moon. The initial version of the SLS, known as Block 1, will be able to lift a payload of 95 metric tons to low Earth orbit (LEO). A subsequent version, Block 2, will be able to put 130 tons into LEO and beyond. The rocket’s maiden flight is currently scheduled for June 2020.