Tag: SLS
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RS-25 hot fires with 3D printed Pogo – Facility issue cuts test short
Following closely on the heels of certifying one set of RS-25 engine upgrades and updates for the first Space Launch System (SLS) flights, NASA and RS-25 prime contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne have begun the next phase of testing on Wednesday afternoon. This involved the hot firing of development engine 0528 (E0528) at the Stennis Space Center…
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Protecting SLS from Fire and Ice – TPS foam application proceeding at MAF
NASA and prime contractor Boeing are deep into the application of spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) to elements of the first Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage (CS-1) and their sister test articles, inaugurating one of the later stages of production at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans, with hopes of completing final assembly…
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NASA evaluates EM-2 launch options for Deep Space Gateway PPE
While NASA engages spacecraft industry help in studying concepts for design, development, test, and evaluation of the Power Propulsion Element (PPE), it is also studying where the anchor component of the proposed Deep Space Gateway (DSG) would orbit the Moon and how it would get there when launched as a part of Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2).…
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MAF simulating SLS engine installation with RS-25 pathfinder
Engineers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans are using a pathfinder RS-25 engine to practice the installation of engines on the Core Stage of the Space Launch System (SLS). Each core will receive four RS-25s, which are currently undergoing test firings at the Stennis Space Center, ahead of a path that will see…
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Europa Clipper’s launch date dependent on SLS Mobile Launcher readiness
NASA has completed an important three day Technical Interchange Meeting regarding the agency’s upcoming flagship Europa Clipper mission. The probe, set to launch on the first science mission of the SLS rocket, currently holds a No Earlier Than launch date of 4 June 2022 – a date that is highly dependent on the SLS Mobile…
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Crew Access Arm arrives as SLS Mobile Launcher takes shape
The huge Mobile Launcher (ML) for the Space Launch System (SLS) is gaining more of its array of appendages as it prepares to host the Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) launch. Although this first SLS mission won’t involve astronauts, the Crew Access Arm (CAA) is making its journey on the back of a large transporter to…
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Crew Access Arm arrives as SLS Mobile Launcher takes shape
The huge Mobile Launcher (ML) for the Space Launch System (SLS) is gaining more of its array of appendages as it prepares to host the Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) launch. Although this first SLS mission won’t involve astronauts, the Crew Access Arm (CAA) is making its journey on the back of a large transporter to…
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Stennis fires up an untested RS-25 engine
The RS-25 test team at Stennis Space Center hot-fired an untested flight engine on the A-1 Test Stand Thursday to help complete certification of design changes to fly on the Space Launch System (SLS). The test is another step towards the flagship test firing of all four engines on the B-2 Test Stand. RS-25 Test:…
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SLS EM-1 & -2 launch dates realign; EM-3 gains notional mission outline
Following a series of issues over the last year with the Core Stage for the first flight of the Space Launch System rocket, the launch dates for both the EM-1 and EM-2 flights are beginning to align, with EM-1 now targeting No Earlier Than 15 December 2019 and EM-2 following on 1 June 2022. Additionally,…
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Preparing the adaptor – LVSA readies for SLS debut
NASA is getting ready to apply spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) to the outside of the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) that will fly as a part of the Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle on Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The LVSA is a roughly thirty feet by thirty feet conical spacer structure that connects the top of…