It hopes to be able to launch the SLS for the first time in 2018 and then the main rocket booster will be powered by four RS-25 engines.
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The motor is expected to roar into life at 17:00 EDT (21:00 GMT) on the A-1 test stand at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
It’s a modified Space Shuttle engine and when all four engines fire, they’ll generate 1.6 million pounds of thrust.
NASA said Wednesday the integration of the ground systems with the launcher intends to facilitate efforts to assemble and launch the space agency’s Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket designed for Mars exploration program and other deep space missions. During the ignition test, engineers gathered data in order to work out any potential bugs for when the time comes to effectively launch it towards the red planet.
The Chatsworth facility is ramping up to manufacture more of the engines, which fit on the bottom of the core stage of the rocket. “We’re going to be testing for 535 seconds in duration”. A successful test of the engine could mean big things for America in the future.
In addition to preparing for the new environmental conditions, the engines also are receiving a technology “refresh” of their controllers, which serve as the brains of the engines. The controller additionally supplies closed-loop administration of the engine by regulating the thrust and gasoline combination ratio whereas monitoring the engine’s well being and standing. As SLS evolves, it will be the most powerful rocket ever built and provide an unprecedented lift capability of 130 metric tons.
“We’ll be flying missions to asteroids and to Mars with this vehicle and part of that is for human space flight to be supported by the SLS”, noted Rigney.
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