NASA has finalized a $3.2 billion contract with Boeing in Huntsville for the aerospace giant to produce Space Launch System rockets for future missions to the moon and beyond, the agency announced Friday.

Under the deal, Boeing will continue to produce core and upper stages for future Space Launch System rockets for NASA’s return to the moon and other missions of the Artemis program.

SLS rockets are NASA’s newest rocket and the biggest since the Saturn V moon rocket. The 212-foot core stage of the rocket produces more than 2 million pounds of thrust to propel the rocket off the launch pad.

“NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is the only rocket capable of sending large cargos and soon, astronauts to the Moon,” said SLS Program Manager John Honeycutt in a statement. “The SLS core stage is the backbone of NASA’s Moon rocket, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust at launch, and the addition of the exploration upper stage will enable NASA to support missions to deep space through the 2030s.”

The agreement also calls for Boeing to produce SLS core stages for Artemis III and IV, acquire critical and long-lead material for the core stages for Artemis V and VI, provide the exploration upper stages, or EUS, for Artemis V and VI and tooling and related support and engineering services.

Under the Artemis program, NASA is scheduled to land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the moon while establishing long-term exploration ahead of preparation for human missions to Mars.

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