RS-25 prime contractor L3Harris continues to ramp up production of new flight engine hardware at their Los Angeles area facility and final assembly at the Stennis Space Center. NASA certified production restart of the former Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) in mid-2024, with the new engines slated to operate at higher performance levels in four-engine clusters in the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage.
While engine component production in Canoga Park increases towards a four engine per year delivery rate for NASA, the L3Harris team is also supporting upcoming Artemis flights to take astronauts back to the Moon. SSMEs that flew the final Shuttle flights 15 years ago were adapted to SLS operating requirements are ready to fly today, and the engine maker is ready to support the Artemis II launch and install the Artemis III and IV engines when SLS is ready.