20.10.2023
Artikel Nummer: 47000
Next stop: the moon
The three US railways Union Pacific (UP), Norfolk Southern and the short line Florida East Coast (FEC) have delivered ten rocket motors from Northrop Grumman Systems in Corinne, Utah, to NASA in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for use in the upcoming Artemis II mission.
Scheduled for late 2024, the mission represents a historic juncture for the country as astronauts are set to traverse around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Due to their immense weight and size, the motor segments required transport by rail across eight states in specialised carriers to the spaceport.
Along with the rocket motors, the journey involved two locomotives, ten buffer cars, and specialised pathfinding equipment.