NASA selects Centaur for new SLS upper stage
Summary
NASA has chosen the Centaur upper stage, currently utilized by United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, for upcoming flights of the Space Launch System. This decision marks a significant advancement in NASA's launch capabilities.
Key Insights
What is the Centaur upper stage?
The Centaur is a high-energy cryogenic upper stage powered by RL10 engines using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants, originally developed in the 1950s and currently used on United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, known for its high performance in deep space missions due to multiple restarts and efficient propulsion.
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Why is using Centaur on SLS significant compared to previous upper stages?
Centaur offers superior performance for SLS Block 2 configurations, enabling higher C3 velocities for ultra-high energy missions like those to Jupiter or solar probes when paired with stages like Star 48BV, outperforming the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (iCPS) derived from Delta IV, which is smaller and less optimal for SLS's scale.
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