NASA test-fired an RS-25 development engine Thursday at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
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AerojetRocketdyne-built four RS-25 engines along with two solid rocket boosters are going to drive NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket off of planet, onward in the direction of deep space.
Thursday’s test was specifically created to find out how the RS-25 would perform at such a high level and whether its control system will work well with that of the SLS rocket.
Starting past year, Aerojet Rocketdyne resumed RS-25 engine testing to ensure that the engines will withstand the demanding operational environment required by SLS. The tests also are collecting data on the performance of a new engine controller unit, which controls internal engine functions during operation and enables proper communication between the between the SLS and the engine.
Aerojet Rocketdyne noted three RS-25 engines have accumulated 5,468 seconds of test time to date and engine 0528 has recorded 1,263 test seconds. Watching them fire may not be what rocket engineers live for, but it’s definitely what gets them excited.
In a conversation with media, space shuttle astronaut Rick Mastracchio said that someone’s reaction after knowing that he worked at NASA was, ‘Oh, I thought NASA went out of business!’.
The SLS is one of two main components of NASA’s “Journey to Mars” initiative.
The test was conducted by a team of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Syncom Space Services personnel and it was the third in a six-test developmental series. RS-25 engines were once used to propel shuttle missions into space.
This statement came as a response to someone who, upon hearing he worked for the agency, claimed they thought NASA had gone “out of business”.
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The Sacramento-area based company provided 16 of the engines to NASA for testing, enough for the first four missions using the Space Launch System rocket.
