1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,183 ♪♪♪♪ 2 00:00:07,183 --> 00:00:11,550 You are currently located inside the Vertical Assembly Center 3 00:00:11,550 --> 00:00:14,583 at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. 4 00:00:14,583 --> 00:00:17,383 You are suspended beside the robotic weld tool that 5 00:00:17,383 --> 00:00:19,750 manufactured all the major structures that will make 6 00:00:19,750 --> 00:00:23,150 up the core stage for Exploration Mission-1, 7 00:00:23,150 --> 00:00:25,383 the first flight of the Space Launch System 8 00:00:25,383 --> 00:00:27,183 and Orion spacecraft. 9 00:00:27,183 --> 00:00:29,983 ♪♪♪♪ 10 00:00:29,983 --> 00:00:33,283 This is the Space Launch System Intertank structural 11 00:00:33,283 --> 00:00:34,550 test article. 12 00:00:34,550 --> 00:00:37,817 The Intertank has been loaded on a space transporter 13 00:00:37,817 --> 00:00:41,050 designed to move the large pieces of the core stage. 14 00:00:41,050 --> 00:00:46,050 The Intertank fits between the LH2 tank and the LOX tank 15 00:00:46,050 --> 00:00:49,183 and is the only piece of the core stage that is made by 16 00:00:49,183 --> 00:00:52,183 pieces together rather than welding. 17 00:00:52,183 --> 00:00:53,583 ♪♪♪♪ 18 00:00:53,583 --> 00:00:56,717 To make big rockets you need a big space. 19 00:00:56,717 --> 00:01:01,183 The Michoud rocket factory could hold 31 football fields. 20 00:01:01,183 --> 00:01:04,450 Seen here are a few of the robotic weld tools 21 00:01:04,450 --> 00:01:08,617 in the facility used to make domes and barrels for SLS. 22 00:01:08,617 --> 00:01:12,983 Domes for the second flight for SLS have been built 23 00:01:12,983 --> 00:01:15,850 These domes form the ends of the large tanks 24 00:01:15,850 --> 00:01:19,417 that hold more than 700,000 gallons of propellent 25 00:01:19,417 --> 00:01:22,483 for the four RS-25 engines. 26 00:01:22,483 --> 00:01:24,683 ♪♪♪♪ 27 00:01:24,683 --> 00:01:28,883 Here the Intertank flight hardware is being outfitted with 28 00:01:28,883 --> 00:01:31,783 thousands of avionics, wires and cables which 29 00:01:31,783 --> 00:01:33,417 are the brains of the rocket. 30 00:01:33,417 --> 00:01:36,383 If you look behind you can see the tank that will 31 00:01:36,383 --> 00:01:38,017 hold the liquid oxygen. 32 00:01:38,017 --> 00:01:41,417 These two pieces of hardware will be joined with the 33 00:01:41,417 --> 00:01:43,717 forward skirt to form the top half 34 00:01:43,717 --> 00:01:46,983 of the 212-foot-long core stage. 35 00:01:46,983 --> 00:01:48,717 ♪♪♪♪ 36 00:01:48,717 --> 00:01:51,317 NASA’s barge Pegasus comes in handy 37 00:01:51,317 --> 00:01:54,283 when moving all the large hardware for testing and flight. 38 00:01:54,283 --> 00:01:58,283 The barge was lengthened and strengthened to be able 39 00:01:58,283 --> 00:02:00,917 to move the SLS core stage,the largest 40 00:02:00,917 --> 00:02:03,917 rocket stage NASA has ever built. 41 00:02:03,917 --> 00:02:08,050 ♪♪♪♪ 42 00:02:08,050 --> 00:02:10,417 From the control room at the front of the barge 43 00:02:10,417 --> 00:02:12,717 the crew can look ahead and still keep an 44 00:02:12,717 --> 00:02:15,250 eye on the hardware through the door behind you. 45 00:02:15,250 --> 00:02:29,583 ♪♪♪♪ 46 00:02:29,583 --> 00:02:33,017 The Intertank was loaded onto Pegasus and 47 00:02:33,017 --> 00:02:35,083 is now at Marshall Space Flight Center in 48 00:02:35,083 --> 00:02:38,450 Huntsville Alabama where it is undergoing tests to ensure 49 00:02:38,450 --> 00:02:40,550 it can survive the harsh environments 50 00:02:40,550 --> 00:02:42,850 during launch and ascent. 51 00:02:42,850 --> 00:02:56,117 ♪♪♪♪