Nears Completion of Key RS-25 Certification Test Series

NASA completed its penultimate hot fire June 15 in a key test series to certify production of new RS-25 engines for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help power future Artemis missions to the Moon and continue the agency’s efforts to explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. More than 800 NASA Stennis, NASA Shared Services Center, and NASA contractor employees and family members viewed the hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the 11th in the 12-test series. The final test of the series is scheduled June 22 and will set the stage for SLS engines lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne to manufacture new RS-25 engines for future deep space missions, beginning with Artemis V. During the June 15 test, operators powered the RS-25 engine for more than eight minutes (500 seconds). The test duration is the same amount of time needed to help launch the SLS rocket and send astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft into orbit. Operators also tested the engine up to 113% power, exceeding the 111% level needed during launch and providing a margin of operational safety. Four RS-25 engines fire simultaneously to help launch each SLS rocket, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust.