Download SLS Factsheet (PDF)NASA’s Moon rocket, the SLS (Space Launch System), launched America into a new era of exploration to destinations beyond Earth’s orbit with the successful launch of Artemis I in November 2022. In addition to demonstrating NASA’s heavy-lift capability and sending the Orion spacecraft into deep space, SLS also has the ability to carry CubeSats to deep space.
CubeSats are small, low-cost experiments the size of a small microwave oven or smaller. CubeSats are categorized by the number of “U” units they occupy, such as 6U, 12U, etc.In CubeSats, a “U” refers to a unit of standard size. Specifically, 1U represents a cube with dimensions of 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm.
These high-risk, high-reward secondary payloads serve as “pathfinders” to investigate science and technology experiments or demonstrate technology to help pave the way for future, deep space human exploration.
Artemis I was an uncrewed test flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft to test the systems before launching humans. Additionally, the mission deployed 10 6U-CubeSats between Earth and the Moon. The CubeSats were selected by NASA and were developed and built by teams from NASA, academia, and international partners.
On Artemis II, the first flight of humans to the lunar vicinity since Apollo 17 in 1972, four 12U CubeSats from interna …