The Space Launch System (SLS) powers NASA’s Artemis program, returning humans to the Moon. Built on proven Shuttle Era RS-25 engines and solid rocket boosters, SLS now flies in its standardized Block 1 configuration to support sustained lunar exploration. Following the successful uncrewed Artemis I flight on November 16, 2022, SLS launched Artemis II on April 1, 2026, launching astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a lunar flyby, humanity’s return to the Moon’s vicinity since Apollo 17 in 1972.