NASA passes SLS rocket engine series tests to prepare for future Artemis mission to the moon

On September 30, 2021, NASA’s Stanislas near St. Louis Bay, MississippiaerospaceThe center has completed the RS-25 single-engine Retrofit-2 test series, marking an important milestone in its future missions to the moon and finally to Mars. On Stanislas’s A-1 test bed, the full-length Heat of the RS-25 development engine No. 0528 reached the highest thrust of seven test series to support the development and production of the agency’s space launch system (SLS) The new engine for the rocket’s future missions.

Johnny Heflin, SLS Liquid Engine Office Manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said: “This successful test series on the RS-25 engine of the Space Launch System puts us away from manufacturing. A new set of engines for future Artemis missions to the moon is one step closer. We are testing engine components manufactured with advanced manufacturing technology that can reduce the cost of each engine by more than 30%, but still maintain the RS -25 The reliability and high performance of the engine.”

In the heat test on September 30, the operator conducted a thrust test of the RS-25 development engine 0528 for more than 8 minutes (500 seconds), which was the same time as the actual launch.
This series of tests provided valuable information for Aerojet Rocketdyne, the main contractor of the SLS engine, because the engine it produces will be used after the Artemis IV mission to the moon. Operators collected heat data to demonstrate and verify the capabilities of various engines, and to evaluate new engine components manufactured with the most advanced and cost-saving technologies to reduce operational risks.

The tested components include a3D printingThe pogo accumulator is used to suppress pressure oscillations that may cause flight instability, and a main combustion chamber manufactured using hot isostatic pressing (HIP) bonding technology. These components are an important early milestone in NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne’s efforts to maximize the use of the most advanced manufacturing methods to significantly reduce the cost and time required to manufacture the new RS-25 engine.

Due to the impact of Hurricane Ida, which hit the Gulf Coast region on August 29, the test on September 30 was postponed from the original date. The storm initially affected the delivery of propellant to the center and had to be postponed when the supplier restored full capacity.
Four RS-25 engines and a pair of solid rocket boosters will help SLS provide power during launch. These engines are launched at the same time and will generate 1.6 million pounds of thrust during lift-off and 2 million pounds of thrust during ascent.

The previous RS-25 test at Stanislas started on January 9, 2015 and ended on April 4, 2019. During this period, NASA completed the acceptance test of the main engines of the former space shuttle. These engines will help power the first four SLS missions. All 16 new controllers (plus one Standby) conducted development and airworthiness tests, and proved the ability of the RS-25 engine at the higher power levels required to launch the super-heavy SLS rocket.

The first Heat of the latest series will be held on January 28, 2021. In this seven-part test series, which was carried out at the same time as the SLS core-level green operation test conducted in Stennis, the No. 0528 development engine experienced a 3650 second heat test. The plan includes six full-length heat tests of more than 8 minutes (500 seconds) and one heat test of less than 11 minutes (650 seconds). The full test refers to the time during which the engine must burn during the actual launch process in order to power the SLS into orbit. The longer heat test is to test the performance limits of the engine.
The Retrofit-2 test series was carried out after the main maintenance and upgrade project of the A-1 test bed, including the installation of a new NASA-designed and manufactured thrust vector control system on the structure, allowing the operator to “universally” test The RS-25 engine moves them on a tight round shaft. The universal joint is a key ability to ensure that the SLS can maintain the correct flight trajectory.

The operator plans to start the follow-up Retrofit-3 test series on the A-1 test stand later this fall, using the RS-25 development engine No.0525. This new series will continue to collect data for the production of new engines.NASA is building the SLS into the most powerful rocket in the world. With Artemis, NASA will allow the first woman and the first person of color to land on the surface of the moon and achieve long-term exploration on the moon.

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NASA passes SLS rocket engine series tests to prepare for future Artemis mission to the moon

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