Thursday, September 6, 2018

NASA has another RS-25 test

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – NASA conducted a full-duration 500-second test of an RS-25 engine flight controller Thursday in South Mississippi. It marked the sixth test of a 3D-printed pogo accumulator assembly, a component that dampens potential engine propellant pressure oscillations that can cause a rocket to become unstable in flight. In addition, it was the second test of an RS-25 main combustion chamber fabricated using a bonding technique called hot isostatic pressing (HIP), which saves considerable time and money over more traditional methods. The hot fire was on the A-1 test stand at SSC, which has been conducting RS-25 engine and component tests since January 2015. NASA began testing RS-25 flight controller units on the stand in March 2017. RS-25 engines were use on the space shuttle, but are modified for use on NASA’s Space Launch System. (Source: NASA/SSC, 09/06/18) Previous