NASA is building the most powerful rocket in the history of mankind

NASA has put plans in motion to build the largest and most powerful rocket the world has ever seen. It sounds like the beginning of a new Bond film, but the agency said it’s moving forward with a new Space Launch System capable of lifting up to 286,000 pounds. The first manned launch is tentatively scheduled for 2021, which will see the SLS propel a new spacecraft, known as Orion, to either a nearby asteroid or the moon. If successful, NASA’s SLS could even be used for a Mars mission. Similar to the Saturn V rocket used for previous Apollo missions, NASA’s SLS rocket could weigh as much as 143 tons, and be able to lift over 286,000 pounds. On a slightly less immense scale, NASA is also envisioning a 77 ton, 154,000 pound SLS.