Ding-dong! The Exploration Upper Stage is dead
The Exploration Upper Stage did not in any way get NASA closer to landing on the Moon.
TL;DR
- NASA has canceled the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) program.
- The EUS was a decade-long project costing over $3.5 billion.
- Its development was intended to enable the SLS rocket to carry larger payloads to the Moon.
- The EUS became obsolete due to new rockets developed by SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance.
- The project suffered from significant cost overruns and delays.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman initiated the cancellation, redirecting resources to lunar surface missions.
- The cancellation also includes a multi-billion dollar launch tower associated with the EUS.
- The Centaur V upper stage, a cheaper and more readily available option, is now favored.