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NASA is implementing key changes to the Space Launch System (SLS) for the Artemis IV mission, which will see astronauts land on the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. The upper stage of the SLS will be replaced with the Centaur V from United Launch Alliance (ULA).

The Artemis IV mission has been rescheduled to 2028, while Artemis II and III will use the existing Block 1 configuration with the ICPS upper stage. For Artemis IV, NASA plans to use Block 1B, and subsequently Block 2. The Centaur V has successfully completed four flights with the Vulcan rocket since 2024 and is based on earlier Centaur models with a history of nearly 170 launches.