Welders inside a large liquid hydrogen tank for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) — the most powerful rocket in the world — are shown here plugging holes left after the tank was assembled. The workers use friction stir welding to produce high-strength bonds virtually free of defects.
Located at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, the SLS — along with NASA’s Orion spacecraft — will send astronauts deeper into space than ever before, including the agency’s journey to Mars.