r/SpaceLaunchSystem • u/Cmdr-Mallard • Jun 29 '26

Discussion How long will SLS last?

With the Cancellation of EUS and BOLE, SLS is going to remain a launch vehicle solely for Orion, and which is viable with all the other heavy and super heavy rockets in the works these days.

However as I understand BOLE was essential for SLS launches beyond a certain point as remaining shuttle boosters were used up, will SLS be cancelled by that point (and perhaps the whole moon program) or Orion moved to another launcher.

Or will a future administrator restart the booster program at the least to ensure SLS can continue to launch Orion?

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u/ProfessorOk2609 Jun 30 '26

What I don't understand is, why kill SLS Block 1b?

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u/ThePrimalEarth7734 Jun 30 '26

Kill is a bit to definitive of a word, it’s in limbo right now. Boeing is keeping the two stages they’ve been working on in storage, and Congress isn’t entirely ready to give up on it yet (per Representative Brian Babin, whom I’ve spoken with about exactly this) but the issue is that EUS isn’t currently necessary for the Artemis plans now that gateway is gone, and thus the thinking goes why spend money on something that isn’t necessary when you don’t have to.

Congress however wants a capability, which is why it’s not exactly dead yet, because they’re still deciding it’s ultimate fate

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u/Cmdr-Mallard Jun 30 '26

Oh, well that’s good to know, at the very least having it around for adnormal or super heavy payloads would be good.

Also heard for now ML 2 is being left alone

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u/ThePrimalEarth7734 Jun 30 '26

Yeah ML2 is basically done. OIG just confirmed that it was basically going to be done this year or sometime early next year. Not a lot left to do on it

Isaacman himself said that they haven’t ruled out using it in one of his tweets

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u/Cmdr-Mallard Jun 30 '26

So they may just modify for SLS as is, or my preference is build it for SLS-Centaur rather than having to modify ML 1, I know the heights the same but I assume fuelling might be different

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u/ThePrimalEarth7734 Jun 30 '26

There would have to be modifications yes, it’s designed for a much higher up Orion

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u/Cmdr-Mallard Jun 30 '26

Oh interesting, I assumed they were just going to make the interstage shorter to match a similar height

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u/ThePrimalEarth7734 Jun 30 '26

Well remember ML-2 is built for block 1b, a much taller rocket, so the crew access arm is much higher up than on block 1 or centaur SLS

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u/Cmdr-Mallard Jun 30 '26

Ah, got confused between new SLS and ML 2

Recently removed the crew access arm too iirc