US EditionNASA Selects ULA for Upper Stage that Will Take Mankind Back to the Moon
NASA chose ULA's Centaur 5 to replace the Exploration Upper Stage for Artemis 4 and 5, citing heritage, performance, and to avoid schedule and cost risks, per NASA documents.
- In a March 6, 2026, filing, NASA named ULA's Centaur 5 as the sole upper stage for Artemis 4 and 5, starting no earlier than early 2028.
- Following an OIG-backed review and a Friday announcement, NASA shifted away from the SLS Block 1B and EUS plans due to cost and schedule overruns, as NASA said.
- Engineers pointed to RL10 engine heritage and Mobile Launcher 1 compatibility, while NASA noted Centaur 3's human-rating commonalities and Exploration Ground Systems experience as key advantages.
- The procurement filing allows NASA to pursue a sole-source award to ULA, with an eight-page MSFC supporting document, citing KSC need date and schedule pressure as critical factors.
- Facing tight timelines, NASA said alternatives risk unacceptable delays due to procurement impacts, while a Senate Commerce Committee authorization bill approved March 4 could allow replacing the EUS if Artemis goals seem unlikely.
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NASA selects Vulcan Centaur 5 as it fine tunes its space launch system for Artemis missions
NASA has selected United Launch Alliance’s Centaur 5 upper stage for two crewed Artemis missions planned for 2028. Here's the latest. (AP Photo)
NASA selects ULA for upper stage that will take mankind back to the moon
(WHNT) — Officials with NASA say they have selected a North Alabama company to build part of the rocket that is now slated to take astronauts back to the moon. The space agency confirmed to News 19 on Friday that it has selected United Launch Alliance, which operates a factory in Decatur, to build the [...]
NASA contract confirms selection of ULA’s Centaur 5 as new upper stage for the SLS rocket
United Launch Alliance’s (ULA’s) Centaur 5 upper stage for the Vulcan Certification-1 (Cert-1) flight heads into pressure cell testing. Image: United Launch Alliance NASA officially selected United Launch Alliance’s Centaur 5 as the upper stage for its Space Launch System rocket starting with the Artemis 4 mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than early 2028. The Centaur 5 was developed as the upper stage of ULA’s Vulcan rocket. The launch ve…
NASA selects Centaur for new SLS upper stage
NASA has selected the Centaur upper stage currently used on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket for future flights of the Space Launch System. The post NASA selects Centaur for new SLS upper stage appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA Selected ULA's Centaur V Upper Stage for the SLS Starting With
The formal contract award came on March 6 2026 through a sole-source justification published the following day. This move locks in a proven design already flying on ULA’s Vulcan rocket to power future SLS missions instead of continuing development of Boeing’s more powerful Exploration Upper Stage. The change aligns perfectly with the February 27 architecture overhaul that keeps the rocket in a standardized near-Block 1 configuration for the rest…
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