SLS Rocket Turns to Dust as It Strips to Reveal Its Secrets

Being such an important piece of technology, the SLS has had its time under the spotlight many times, but never until now did we see inside it, as it shoots for the dark skies beyond our planet’s atmosphere. Below this text, there is however a short, 5-minute video depicting exactly that.

The video was put together by someone who specializes in such things and goes by the name Hazegrayart on YouTube. Only this time, the visual treat is much more rewarding.

We see the SLS upright, as if ready for launch and then, out of a sudden, the thing starts to disintegrate from the bottom up, losing its outer layers to reveal its interior. The boosters remain unaffected by the core stage being turned to dust.

What we’re left with at the end of this digital disaster is a syringe-like structure seemingly made of glass. The boosters are still intact, but only briefly, as they shed their clothing as well in an amazing digital blast. Now we have two pens flanking a syringe, and looking awesome in doing so.

This entire exercise was needed to allow us to see what goes on inside the core stage and boosters. With the protective garments out of the way, we’re treated with the core stage being filled with fuel prior to launch and then burning it during ascent. You can see all the action in the video below.

The SLS is the most powerful rocket ever built. The core stage is powered by four RS-25 engines fueled by 730,000 gallons (2.763 million liters) of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and can generate over 2 million lbs. of thrust.

Backing it up are two solid rocket boosters that bring the total thrust to 8.8 million pounds, which is 15 percent more thrust than the Saturn V rocket that supported the Apollo program. And that’s just the first version, as subsequent ones will be even more powerful.