Watch Technicians Weld Rocket Stage Adapter for First Crewed Artemis Flight

This video shows engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, completing the welds to form the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The launch vehicle stage adapter in this video will fly on Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program. Upon stacking the upper and lower cones, technicians use advanced robotic tooling and an innovative process called friction stir welding, to join the cones of the LVSA to form one structure. The next step in the manufacturing process is the installation of the pneumatically actuated frangible joint which sits atop the LVSA and helps separate the core stage and LVSA from the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) during flight. After the core stage launches the rocket, the ICPS provides the power to send the Orion spacecraft and its crew to the Moon. The LVSA flight hardware is produced at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center by Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama. (NASA/Sam Lott)

[@michelp976]

Friction welding is the best thing ever! I love it

[@Sir_Uncle_Ned]

Friction stir welding - the space-age way to get strong bonds without adding any material. I should have seen that coming a mile away.

[@MrBen527]

Amazing machine!

[@robossbomb0000]

We might see sls fly this year after all

[@michelp976]

Not the same rocket

[@robossbomb0000]

@@michelp976 I know but it still cool to see they are actually making progress and not sitting on there buts begging for money like a few years ago

[@michelp976]

@@robossbomb0000 Sure!

[@c_corgi]

This is cool

[@warflesYT]

I agree

[@c_corgi]

@@warflesYT I did not expect to get a reply so fast, thanks?

[@warflesYT]

XD

[@firstlast9731]

Im sitting in my hotel about to take a tour of Kennedy space center tomorrow where Artemis 1 will hopefully launch in November :)

[@hanger1800]

cool

[@thomasgoodwin2648]

Does anyone know if there is a similar tool running internally or it single sided abrasion wielding?

[@MrBen527]

Nope, and it's friction stir welding.

[@thomasgoodwin2648]

@@MrBen527 Appreciate the correction. 👍

[@thomasgoodwin2648]

I often find my stupidities lead to comprehension on a much steeper trajectory than arguing the fine points in a bar. 😉

[@brettd3206]

Great technology, but it seems like a ridiculous waste of time and money for a single-use stage adapter. Couldn't you simply built a steel truss system, wrap it in a light weight aluminum foil, and paint it to match color scheme of vehicle?

[@johnathanlivingstonseagull5524]

Im thinking this must be obsolete technology.

[@pancytryna9378]

Exepct for not beeing reusable it really isnt

[@IvorMektin1701]

You're thinking wrong

[@brokensoap1717]

it's cool

[@firstlast9731]

@@pancytryna9378 You see people say "well SpaceX rockets are reusable so they should just use those" BUT they have not developed a rocket that can fly to the moon. Only one's that can go to ISS

[@johnathanlivingstonseagull5524]

@@firstlast9731 how would that impact the engineering in space?

[@thorodinson524]

How they gonna survive extremely high radiation and Temps of Van allens belt and Moon?
CGI perhaps i think will make them land on moon..!!

[@MrDnB89]

stop liking your own comments

[@thorodinson524]

@@MrDnB89 I didnt do it, and even if i did it whats wrong in it,moron???!

[@ericlotze7724]

I’ll post the link below, but essentially they mapped them well, went through the weakest parts, had mild shielding, and simply weren’t in them for a long period.
Same thing for Artemis, although probably better data/prediction, and maybe more shielding?
I’m not an expert on this, but in this and all the other areas there are explanations for all the various things that may make conspiracy theories sound more plausible. Often learning about the “why” of the answer leads to learning cool stuff!

[@ericlotze7724]

czcams.com/video/h9YN50xXFJY/video.html