Flight Certification Approach for NASA's Space Launch System

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle was successfully launched on November 16, 2022, initiating the Artemis I mission to send the uncrewed Orion spacecraft to the Moon and further into space than any human-rated spacecraft had previously flown. Flight certification of the launch vehicle was part of the systems engineering and integration (SE&I) effort conducted by NASA to successfully certify the mission and begin a new era of human space exploration of the Moon and eventually Mars. This paper describes the SLS Program flight certification approach including the organization, processes, and reporting. This approach used traditional NASA SE&I milestone reviews and lessons learned from the Space Shuttle Program, as well as unique methods to certify the complex system, procedures, and personnel readiness. The approach utilized by the SLS Program to conduct flight certification for the Artemis I mission can be extended to address flight certification for other complex programs.