Boeing has finalized a contract with NASA for the development of the rocket that could one day carry man to Mars.
The company will develop the core stages of the Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever built, under the terms of a $2.7 billion contract. The rocket is meant to send astronauts into near-Earth asteroids, the Moon and, eventually, deep space, including a trip to the red planet.
The rocket is scheduled for its initial test flight from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in 2017.
"Our teams have dedicated themselves to ensuring that the SLS - the largest ever - will be built safely, affordably and on time," said Virginia Barnes, Boeing SLS vice president and program manager. "We are passionate about NASA's mission to explore deep space. It's a very personal mission, as well as a national mandate."
The agreement comes as NASA and Boeing complete the Critical Design Review on the core stage, the last major review before full production can begin. The CDR is NASA's first on a deep-space human exploration launch vehicle since 1961, when the Saturn V rocket underwent a similar design review as the U.S. sought to land an astronaut on the moon.
The SLS is designed to be flexible and adjustable to accommodate a variety of crew and cargo. The initial flight-test configuration provides a 77-ton capacity, with the final evolved two-stage configuration providing a lift capability of more than 143 tons.