PHOTO CREDIT – NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA conducted a second RS-25 single engine hot fire test April 6 as part of a new
series to support the development and production of engines for the agency’s Space
Launch System (SLS) rocket on future missions to the Moon. The full-duration hot fire of
more than eight minutes (500 seconds) was conducted on the A-1 Test Stand at
NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis. It is part of a scheduled seven-test
series designed to provide valuable data for Aerojet Rocketdyne, lead contractor for the
SLS engines, as it begins production of new RS-25 engines for use after the first four
SLS flights. Four RS-25 engines help power SLS at launch, firing simultaneously to
generate a combined 1.6 million pounds of thrust at launch and 2 million pounds of
thrust during ascent. The RS-25 engines for the first four SLS flights are upgraded
space shuttle main engines and have completed certification testing. During the new
test series, operators will focus on evaluating new engine components and reducing risk
in engine operation. They will fire the engine through a range of operating conditions to
demonstrate and verify its capabilities and to provide data to enhance production of new engines being manufactured with cutting-edge and cost-saving technologies. The initial test of the new series was conducted Jan. 28 for 500 seconds as well, the same amount of time the engines must fire during a launch to power the SLS rocket to orbit. During the subsequent full-duration hot fire April 6, operators also gimbaled the RS-25 engine,
using a new NASA-designed vector control system for the first time since it was
installed. “Gimbaling” refers to how the engine must move on a tight circular axis in
order to ensure proper flight trajectory. NASA is building SLS as the world’s most
powerful rocket. SLS will fly to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, including
the Artemis I uncrewed test flight this year that will pave the way for future flights with
astronauts to explore the lunar surface and prepare for missions to Mars. RS-25 tests at
Stennis are conducted by a combined team of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Syncom
Space Services operators. Syncom Space Services is the prime contractor for Stennis
facilities and operations.