The inspection was completedback in July , assessing various components of the rocket such as its engines and boosters . The results of the review have now been briefed to the Agency Program Management Council , the final step in the CDR cognitive process , which means all system are go to start out building the rocket ahead of its first launching in 2018 at the earliest .

“ There have been challenges , and there will be more ahead , but this revaluation give us self-confidence that we are on the right racecourse for the first flight of SLS and using it to extend permanent human presence into deep space , ” state Bill Hill , deputy sheriff associate administrator of NASA ’s Exploration Systems Development Division , in astatement .

This was the last of four reviews of the rocket ; the next measure now is to actually build up it by 2017 , when it will be vigorously assessed ahead of its launch the following year . This first launching will be an unmanned mental test flight ; the first manned flight of steps , using an Orion ballistic capsule , will take position in the other 2020s . at long last , SLS will be used to establish key component part for a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s .

finally , there will betwo versionsof the SLS . The initial smaller Block 1 contour will be 98 meters ( 322 fundament ) grandiloquent , get 4   million kilograms ( 8.8   million pounds ) of thrust at lift off and weigh 2.6   million kilo ( 5.75   million pounds ) . This will enable it to take 70 measured tons ( 77 tons )   of load into outer space , more than twice the capability of any rocket presently in operation .

The   Block 2 constellation , though , will be not only taller at 111 meters ( 365 foot ) , but will also use advanced boosters that will enable it to launch 130 metric gross ton ( 143 tons ) , a similar potentiality   to that of the Saturn Little Phoebe rocket that took Apollo astronaut to the Moon , the most powerful rocket in history .

“ This [ review ] is a major stair in the design and set of SLS , ” say John Honeycutt , SLS program manager , in the   affirmation . “ Our team has work extremely severely , and we are moving forwards with building this skyrocket . We are qualifying hardware , build up morphologic trial articles , and piss genuine progress . ”