Union Pacific No. 4547 has entered freight service, with its first assignment carrying rocket motor components for NASA’s Artemis III lunar exploration program.

Union Pacific No. 4547 pulling Artemis III booster motor segments by rail
Union Pacific No. 4547 transports Artemis III booster motor segments from Corinne, Utah, toward NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Photo: NASA/Brandon Hancock

Union Pacific No. 4547 begins NASA-linked freight work

The Union Pacific commemorative locomotive was unveiled Tuesday in cooperation with Northrop Grumman and Wabtec⁠. Its initial movement involved Space Launch System solid rocket motor segments⁠, linking the rail shipment to NASA’s program for future lunar exploration.

The train departed from a shipping site near Corinne, Utah, carrying components connected with NASA’s work on deep-space exploration and the planned return of humans to the moon. No. 4547 was accompanied by No. 1616, another Union Pacific commemorative locomotive. That unit recognizes President Abraham Lincoln and the company’s historical connection to the transcontinental railroad. Lincoln established Union Pacific in 1862 by signing the Pacific Railway Act, which authorized construction of the route.

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena joined Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams, and representatives of Northrop Grumman, NASA and Wabtec at the ceremony. The event marked both the shipment and the christening of No. 4547, which honors President Donald J. Trump and commemorates America’s 250th anniversary.

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Ceremony marks shipment of Artemis III rocket parts

Vena said:

“We are proud to honor President Donald J. Trump with this commemorative engine while helping advance the Artemis III mission,”

“As No. 4547 carries these rocket components, it represents the strength of our nation’s supply chain and our role in connecting the country – linking industries, communities and opportunity from our rail network to the surface of the moon.”

Wendy Williams, vice president and general manager, launch and exploration at Northrop Grumman, said:

“From Northern Utah’s role in building the transcontinental railroad to powering exploration with our Space Launch System boosters, this partnership shows how American industries and innovation are building the future.”

Union Pacific No. 4547 hauling rocket motor segments near Corinne Utah
Union Pacific No. 4547 with rocket motor segments near Corinne, Utah. Photo: Union Pacific

Wabtec-built locomotive joins presidential series

Artemis III is planned as NASA’s second crewed mission within the Artemis lunar exploration program. The mission is expected to test integrated operations involving the Orion spacecraft and commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin. The work is intended to support future missions, including a planned lunar landing as early as 2028.

NASA says eight booster motor segments for Artemis III were shipped from Corinne, Utah, to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The segments are intended to form part of the Space Launch System’s twin, five-segment solid rocket boosters. According to NASA, those twin boosters provide more than 75% of total thrust at liftoff, while the boosters and four RS-25 engines together produce more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust.

Wabtec built No. 4547, which becomes the third locomotive in Union Pacific’s presidential locomotive series⁠. The series also includes No. 1616, dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln, and No. 4141, which recognizes President George H.W. Bush, who was known as a rail enthusiast.

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