--- title: "The SLS Is Probably the Last Rocket NASA Will Ever Build" description: "NASA's Space Launch System may well be the agency's last class of rocket that NASA will ever build, according to a new The New York Times essay." date: "2021-03-19" modified: "2021-03-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/sls-last-rocket-nasa" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "NASA" - "sls" - "Space Launch System" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # The SLS Is Probably the Last Rocket NASA Will Ever Build ![NASA's Space Launch System may well be the agency's last class of rocket that NASA will ever build, according to a new The New York Times essay.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Last Rocket It took almost a decade and tens of billions of dollars to get to this point. NASA's [Space Launch System]() completed a major milestone this week. The massive rocket, standing taller than the Statue of Liberty, completed its second successful hot-fire test this week. The rocket roared to life, blowing a [gigantic white cloud]() into the forest nearby the agency's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi in a hot fire test lasted for a record eight minutes. As early as November, the rocket could launch the agency's first uncrewed mission around the Moon in many years. But overshadowing this week's hot fire tests is the bittersweet fact that this may well be the last class of rocket that NASA will ever build, [according to a new *The New York Times* essay]() by spaceflight journalist David Brown. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1372651251582836738 ## Expensive and Late The development of the SLS has been marred by budget overruns, underfunding by Congress, and countless delays. In 2021, the rocket is five years behind schedule and has cost billions more than originally projected. Waiting in the wings is SpaceX. The Elon Musk-led company has made unquestionable progress in developing its [Starship](), a massive spacecraft designed to carry up to 100 passengers as far as Mars. NASA also awarded the company with a [contract to return astronauts to the lunar surface]() as soon as 2024. Add it all up and the SLS may end up being a transitional vehicle, allowing NASA to pave the way for a future in which the private space sector builds the rockets — and the agency just provides funding and scientific expertise. **READ MORE:** [NASA’s Last Rocket]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on SLS:** *[Former NASA Leader Says SpaceX Should Build NASA’s Moon Rocket]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()