Crews bring RS-25 developmental engine E0525 to the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Aug. 30 for the upcoming certification test series. The first test of the 12-test series is Thursday, Oct. 5 at NASA Stennis.Photo by Danny Nowlin/NASA
Oct. 3 (UPI) — NASA is set to commence critical testing of upgraded engines for its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Thursday, beginning with increasing power levels to 111%. These tests will prepare the space agency for future Artemis missions to the Moon.
The upcoming assessments represent the final stage of certification testing before the production of the RS-25 engines for the SLS rocket. NASA emphasized the engines’ significance in powering its missions, starting with Artemis Vin a statement.
“The tests are a crucial milestone for Aerojet Rocketdyne, the lead contractor for SLS engines, to manufacture engines that will play a vital role in propelling the SLS rocket, beginning with Artemis V,” stated NASA in a press release.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is the latest iteration of Rocketdyne, a company that has undergone several ownership changes, from North American Aviation to Boeing and Pratt & Whitney.
The development of the RS-25 engine can be traced back to the 1960s, with Rocketdyne’s previous incarnation shaping the design in the 1970s. The engines were first utilized in a flight that took off in April 1981.
The RS-25 engine is an adaptation of the successful J-2 engine, used in the second stage of the Saturn V rocket during the Apollo program. In order to test-fire the S-II, the Fred Haise Test Stand at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi was built.
Notably, this engine incorporates a new set of key components, including a nozzle, hydraulic actuators, flex ducts, and turbopumps.
NASA plans to conduct 12 tests of the engines at the Fred Haise Test Stand over the next several months leading into 2024. These tests will certify the engine design before their utilization in the Artemis program. NASA’s SLS rocket requires four RS-25 engines alongside a pair of solid rocket boosters to achieve flight.
“NASA and our industry partners are steadily progressing towards the revival of RS-25 engine production, which has been dormant since the space shuttle era, as we prepare for our more ambitious missions to deep space under Artemis with the SLS rocket,” said Johnny Heflin, liquid engines manager for SLS at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
“The upcoming fall test series builds off previous hot fire testing already conducted at NASA Stennis to help certify a new design that will make this storied spaceflight engine even more powerful.”
Upon completing the testing cycle, NASA expects to produce 24 new RS-25 engines.
