SLS will be the worlds most effective rocket and the only one capable of sending out the Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission. Four RS-25 engines, firing concurrently, will create a combined 2 million pounds of thrust to help power SLSs ascent.
The RS-25 engines for the first 4 SLS flights are updated space shuttle bus main engines and have finished accreditation screening. RS-25 engines for subsequent objectives will fire at 111% of their original power level to assist launch SLS. Testing at 113% power level at Stennis demonstrates a margin of security for running the engine at the higher thrust.
Credit: NASA/SSC
Each engine test in the current series at Stennis provides valuable operational information to NASAs lead specialist, Aerojet Rocketdyne, on new elements made with state-of-the-art fabrication methods as the company starts production on brand-new RS-25 engines. The testing is part of NASA and Aerojet Rocketdynes effort to utilize sophisticated manufacturing techniques, considerably decreasing the cost and time required to build brand-new engines.
For NASAs February 24 test, engineers fired the RS-25 developmental engine for a full period of about eight-and-a-half minutes (500 seconds), the very same amount of time the engines need to run to assist send out SLS to space. SLS, Orion, industrial human landing systems, and Gateway station in orbit around the Moon are NASAs backbone for deep space exploration.
RS-25 tests at Stennis are performed by a combined group of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Syncom Space Services operators. Syncom Space Services is the prime contractor for Stennis facilities and operations.
NASA powered up its third RS-25 engine hot fire test of the brand-new year on February 24, on the Fred Haise Test Stand at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. NASA is evaluating RS-25 engines to help power the firms Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on future deep area objectives. The RS-25 engines for the very first 4 SLS flights are upgraded area shuttle bus main engines and have finished certification testing.
NASA powered up its 3rd RS-25 engine hot fire test of the new year on February 24, on the Fred Haise Test Stand at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. NASA is evaluating RS-25 engines to help power the agencys Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on future deep space objectives.
Credit: NASA/SSC
Work is underway inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare the first SLS for the upcoming launch of the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which will pave the way for future flights with astronauts to prepare and explore the lunar surface area for missions to Mars. Artemis missions will land the first lady and first person of color on the lunar surface area.