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who made the artemis rocket

The Artemis rocket was developed by NASA in partnership with major aerospace contractors, led by Boeing for the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage and Lockheed Martin for the Orion spacecraft.

Who “made” the Artemis rocket?

When people say “Artemis rocket,” they usually mean the Space Launch System (SLS), the huge rocket that launches NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon.

SLS is a NASA program, but it is built by a network of companies rather than a single manufacturer.

Key players:

  • NASA – Overall architect and program owner of the Artemis program and the SLS rocket.
  • Boeing – Prime contractor for the SLS core stage, upper stages, and flight avionics, designing, developing, testing, and producing the main rocket body.
  • Aerojet Rocketdyne – Supplies the RS‑25 engines for the core stage and solid rocket booster engines, providing much of the rocket’s thrust.
  • Northrop Grumman – Builds the solid rocket boosters that flank the core stage.
  • Lockheed Martin – Prime contractor for the Orion crew spacecraft that sits on top of the SLS.
  • ESA (European Space Agency) & Airbus – Provide Orion’s European Service Module, which supplies power and propulsion for the spacecraft.

So the Artemis rocket is best seen as a NASA-led Moon rocket built by a coalition of U.S. and international aerospace companies, with Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne at the heart of the launch vehicle and Lockheed Martin and ESA/Airbus responsible for the crew spacecraft on top.

Quick Scoop

  • NASA runs the Artemis program and designed the overall SLS rocket concept.
  • Boeing builds the SLS core stage, upper stages, and flight avionics.
  • Aerojet Rocketdyne supplies the RS‑25 engines and other key propulsion hardware.
  • Northrop Grumman builds the twin solid rocket boosters.
  • Lockheed Martin builds the Orion crew capsule.
  • ESA and Airbus build the European Service Module that powers Orion.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.