---
title: "Boeing Just Powered Up NASA’s Most Powerful Rocket Ever"
description: "Power Up Boeing staff in Mississippi just powered up the core stage of the super-heavy-duty Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that it’s building for NASA, which is intended to launch huge amounts of hardware to be used in the upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon, and after that possibly Mars. “It’s very rewarding,” Boeing director […]"
date: "2020-07-02"
modified: "2020-07-02"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/boeing-powered-nasas-most-powerful-rocket"
categories:
  - "Boeing"
  - "NASA"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "boeing"
  - "NASA"
  - "sls"
  - "the digest"
---

# Boeing Just Powered Up NASA’s Most Powerful Rocket Ever

![Boeing staff in Mississippi just powered up the core stage of the super-heavy-duty Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that it's building for NASA.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/boeing-powered-nasas-most-powerful-rocket.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA\</em\>*

## Power Up

Boeing staff in Mississippi just powered up the core stage of the super-heavy-duty Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that it's building for NASA, which is intended to launch huge amounts of hardware to be used in the upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon, and after that possibly Mars.

"It's very rewarding," Boeing director Mark Nappi [told Space.com](<https://www.space.com/boeing-powers-up-sls-megarocket-core-green-run-tests.html>) of the test. "It's the first time that this test has been run; this is a first-of-its-kind type of rocket, the world's largest, most powerful rocket ever built."

## Big Chonker

Next week, according to *Space.com*, Boeing intends to run a series of communications and tests on the SLS's mechanical and hydraulic systems.

If all goes well with those drills, they hope that in October they'll be able to tie the rocket down and hot-fire it.

## Truly Huge

The ultra-ambitious SLS has [caught flak](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-report-spacex-rocket-disaster>) for falling behind scheduling and running over budget.

“NASA’s continued struggle with managing SLS Program costs and schedule has the potential to impact the Agency’s ambitious goals for the Artemis program,” read a [NASA report about the project](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-report-spacex-rocket-disaster>) earlier this year.

**READ MORE:** [NASA's first Space Launch System megarocket core powers up for 'green run' test](<https://www.space.com/boeing-powers-up-sls-megarocket-core-green-run-tests.html>) \[*Space.com*\]

**More on the SLS:** [After Years of Delays, NASA Unveils Its Most Powerful Rocket](<https://futurism.com/nasa-most-powerful-rocket>)

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)