Marshall Center Director Todd May Presents Vice President Mike Pence With Space Launch System Model

Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May (left) presents Vice President Mike Pence (center) with a Space Launch System model. May, Vice President Pence, and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) (right) are standing in front of an SLS test stand where the engine section, the bottom section of the 212-foot-tall core stage, is being tested. Earlier, engineers working on the test gave the Vice President a close up look at test hardware. The test hardware is for the SLS core stage engine section, which is the bottom of the core stage where the four RS-25 engines are housed. The engine section structure must withstand the incredible stresses produced by more than 8 million pounds of thrust during launch and ascent.