NASA has officially canceled the Exploration Upper Stage program for the Space Launch System rocket, opting instead to procure upper stages from United Launch Alliance for Artemis IV and V missions. The program had persisted for over a decade despite becoming obsolete due to more capable commercial alternatives from SpaceX and Blue Origin. Its cancellation represents a shift away from what critics called congressional 'pork barrel' spending that kept the project alive through political support.
Background
The Exploration Upper Stage was a NASA program contracted to Boeing to enhance the SLS rocket's payload capacity for lunar missions. It faced criticism for persisting despite commercial alternatives rendering it obsolete.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Mar 7, 2026 at 07:40 AM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10