| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Used on | Ares V SLS Block 2 |
| Associated stages | |
| Comparable | S-IVB |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Cancelled (Ares V) Postponed (SLS) |
| Ares V EDS | |
| Height | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Diameter | 10 metres (33 ft) |
| Empty mass | 47,400 kilograms (104,500 lb) |
| Gross mass | 294,000 kilograms (648,000 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 or 2 J-2X |
| Maximum thrust | 1,310 kilonewtons (290,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 448 s (4.39 km/s) (vacuum) |
| Propellant | LH2/LOX |
| SLS Block II EDS | |
| Height | 24 metres (79 ft) |
| Powered by | 1 or 2 J-2X |
| Maximum thrust | 1,310 kilonewtons (290,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 448 s (4.39 km/s) (vacuum) |
| Propellant | LH2/LOX |
The Earth Departure Stage (EDS) is the name given to the proposed second stage of the Block 2 Space Launch System. The EDS is intended to boost the rocket's payload into a parking orbit around the Earth and from there send the payload out of low Earth orbit to its destination in a manner similar to that of the S-IVB rocket stage used on the Saturn V rockets that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. Its development has been put on hold (though not abandoned) until stages capable of transferring heavy payloads to Mars are required (currently expected in the 2030s).