Ten barrels have been welded, including the first four LH2 qualification barrels, for the SLS core stage at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Ten barrels have been welded, including the first four LH2 qualification barrels, for the SLS core stage at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The Vertical Weld Center tool welds barrel panels together to produce whole barrels for the two pressurized tanks, the forward skirt and the aft engine section. Soon, the Vertical Assembly Center will be used to join domes, rings and barrels together to complete the tanks or dry structure assemblies.
Image credit: NASA/Michoud