NASA made the first warm fire on 28 January 2021 in a new series of tests for the production of RS-25 engines that will help drive the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on future deep space missions.
The test of RS-25 development engine no. 0528 at the A-1 test site in Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Missouri, is the start of a series of seven tests designed to provide valuable data to Aerojet Rocketdyne, main contractor. for SLS engines, as the company begins production of new RS-25 engines.
Four RS-25 engines help propel SLS during launch, which are shot simultaneously to generate a combined propulsion of £ 1.6 million at launch and £ 2 million thrust during takeoff. The RS-25 engines for the first four SLS flights are upgraded spacecraft main engines and have completed the certification test. NASA is now focusing on providing data to improve the production of new RS-25 engines and components for use on subsequent SLS missions.
The new test series will assess the performance of engine components manufactured using the latest manufacturing technologies and techniques. The testing is part of the efforts of NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne to use advanced manufacturing methods to significantly reduce the cost and time required to build new RS-25 engines.
For the January 28 test, the development engine of the RS-25 was shot down for a full duration of about eight-and-a-half minutes (500 seconds), the same time that the engines had to shoot down to get SLS running. The engine is designed at 111% of the original design of the spacecraft main engine and the same power level required to launch SLS on its missions.
The hot fire is the first test on the historic stand since April 2019, when NASA concluded testing of RS-25 engines for the first four SLS missions. Since then, Stennis teams have worked to complete major maintenance and upgrade projects to the A-1 Test Stand and its systems to ensure future testing capability.
Among the other projects, the installation of a new NASA design and manufactured thrust vector control system was offered to the test standard, enabling drivers to “gimbal” the RS-25 engines and move them on a tight circular axis as should be done. flight to ensure the correct trajectory.
NASA builds SLS as the world’s most powerful rocket. Initial SLS missions will fly to the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, including the unraveled Artemis I test flight this year, which will pave the way for future flights with astronauts to explore and prepare the lunar surface. for missions to March.
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 main contractor for Stennis facilities and operations.