Boeing (NYSE: BA) and NASA have closed on a $3.2 billion contract for the production of core and upper stages to power Space Launch System rockets that will support future lunar exploration missions.
The aerospace and defense company will use the funds to manufacture up to 10 SLS core stages for Artemis III and IV, obtain critical and long-lead items for the core stages for Artemis V and VI and produce up to eight exploration upper stages for Artemis V and VI, the agency said Saturday.
The deal also covers the provision of tooling and related support and engineering services in support of the deep space exploration program.
Boeing will perform some core stage assembly and outfitting activities for the Artemis III rocket and succeeding rockets at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will work with NASA on all core stage manufacturing activities at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
The 212-foot-tall core stage of the SLS rocket is designed to produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help propel the spacecraft off the launch pad.
NASA launched SLS along with Lockheed Martin‘s (NYSE: LMT) Orion spacecraft Nov. 16 for the Artemis I flight test and completed the 25.5 day uncrewed mission to the moon Sunday.
