Friday, June 23, 2023

Stennis burn of new RS-25 engines

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA achieved a key milestone June 22, completing an initial certification test series (of 12) designed to pave the way for production of new RS-25 engines to help power NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon, beginning with Artemis V.

The test series for the redesigned engine "sets the stage for a new chapter of spaceflight history for the RS-25 engines and future flights of the SLS rocket,” said Johnny Heflin, SLS liquid engines manager. 

The redesigned RS-25 engines leverage advanced manufacturing techniques and innovative designs while increasing engine performance. 

Engineers conducted a full-duration test of more than eight minutes (500 seconds) on an RS-25 certification engine manufactured by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The engine incorporates dozens of improvements to make production more efficient and affordable while maintaining high performance and reliability. The test series at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss., is designed to verify that the new engines meet all Artemis flight requirements.

The stage is now set for a second - and final - certification series to begin in early fall. (Stennis 06/22/23) NASA Achieves Key Milestone for Production of Future Artemis Engines | NASA

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