Naomi Cooper
Leidos has delivered to NASA a test version of the universal stage adapter that will be used to connect the exploration upper stage of the Block 1B variant Space Launch System to the Orion spacecraft.
NASA said Wednesday the full-scale prototype arrived at Building 4619 at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where it will undergo modal testing to validate dynamic models and ultimate load testing to assess the test article’s structure.
The full-scale prototype of the universal stage adapter was built at Leidos’ Aerospace Structures Complex in Decatur, Alabama, which supports the structural design, manufacturing and testing of large aerospace structures.
The test article’s delivery comes as NASA prepares for the production, testing and assembly of the SLS Block 1B crew vehicle that will launch the Artemis IV mission.
