Boeing core stage powers NASA Artemis II moon mission with four astronauts

NASA's Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1 at 6:35 p.m. ET, carrying four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon. The Space Launch System rocket used a core stage built by Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA).

The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. They are traveling aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft, named Integrity.

The Boeing-built core stage completed its mission eight and a half minutes into flight, successfully separating from the rocket's upper stage. The 212-foot core stage contains a 196,000-gallon liquid oxygen tank and a 537,000-gallon liquid hydrogen tank, along with four RS-25 engines that produce 2.2 million pounds of thrust.

"We're honored to support NASA in restoring a capability vital to our nation's interests and future," said Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Boeing manufactures the core stage at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, using components from suppliers in more than 38 states. The core stage performed several operations during the mission, including pre-launch fueling, engine ignition, thrust vector control, and separation maneuvers.

Boeing is preparing core stages for future Artemis missions III through V, which are currently in production at the Michoud and Kennedy facilities. The information was provided in a company press release.

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