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| RS-25 test at SSC. NASA/SSC photo |
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA engineers conducted a successful developmental test of RS-25 rocket engine No. 0528 today to collect critical performance data for the Space Launch System (SLS). The engine fired a full 650-second test on the A-1 Test Stand. The SLS will launch humans deeper into space than ever before. Four Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engines, joined with a pair of solid rocket boosters, will power the SLS core stage. The RS-25 engines used on the first four SLS flights are former space shuttle main engines, modified to operate at a higher performance level and with a new engine controller, which allows communication between the vehicle and engine. NASA conducted a series of developmental tests on the engine last year before testing a flight engine that will be used on its second test flight, Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2). EM-2 will be the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, launching on the SLS. A second series of developmental tests began July 14. The test was conducted by a team of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Syncom Space Services engineers and operators. (Source: NASA/SSC, 07/29/16) Previous related:
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