Engineers at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss., completed a simulated launch countdown sequence Oct. 5 for the sixth test of the eight-part core stage Green Run test series for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The SLS core stage being tested is the largest rocket stage NASA has ever produced and will be the stage that helps deliver the Artemis I mission to space. During the simulated countdown, engineers/techs and prime contractors from Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne monitored the stage to validate the timeline and sequence of events leading up to the test, which is similar to the countdown for launch. The countdown sequence for a real Artemis launch begins about two days ahead of liftoff. Engineers then skipped ahead in the sequence to monitor the stage and procedures of the stage 10 minutes before hot fire. The countdown sequence is one of the final tests of the SLS Green Run campaign. The series of tests is designed to gradually bring the rocket stage and all its systems to life for the first time. The Green Run test campaign will validate the SLS core stage design and ensure it’s ready for the first and future Artemis missions beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon through the agency’s Artemis program. NASA is working to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. SLS and Orion, along with the human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission. (NASA 10/05/20)
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