NASA Artemis V Moon Rocket Engine Test#11: March 27, 2024 | Stennis Space Center

NASA Artemis V Moon Rocket Engine Test#11: March 27, 2024 | Stennis Space Center

An Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 rocket engine (RS-25 developmental engine E0525) was tested on the Fred Haise Test Stand (formerly A-1 Test Stand) at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi on March 27, 2024, at 18:10 UTC (13:10 CDT). This was the 5th test using a new production engine nozzle providing additional performance data on the upgraded unit and the 11th hot fire test out of the 12 planned in the final round of certification testing ahead of production of an updated set of engines for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) that will be used beginning with Artemis V. The test had a planned duration of 500 seconds, with the RS-25 engine running up to 113% power level.

Upgrades to the nozzle include a new type and amount of insulation. This is a critical consideration since the RS-25 engines are exposed to more heat during SLS launches than previous space shuttle missions. SLS features four RS-25 engines instead of the three main engines used for the space shuttle and the proximity of the RS-25 nozzle to the SLS solid rocket boosters is closer than on the space shuttle.

The goal of the upgrades is to streamline the nozzle production process, while making it more cost efficient and still achieving the same performance level as with previous RS-25 engines. While new manufacturing methods have been incorporated into the production of the nozzle, the shape, length, and diameter remain the same.

Sixteen main engines remained from the shuttle program. All were modified and tested at NASA Stennis for use on the first four Artemis missions.

For information about the Space Launch System, visit: 

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html

Credit: NASA's Stennis Space Center

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 9 minutes

Release Date: March 27, 2024

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