Tag: Stennis
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SLS engine testing delayed due to test stand contamination
The return of RS-25 engine testing at the Stennis Space Center has been delayed, following the discovery of a contamination issue involving cloth fibers inside the A-1 test stand duct system. Engine 0525 – which will be the first RS-25 to be test fired since the end of the Shuttle Program – has to be removed…
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RS-25 engine installed for Stennis testing amid SLS schedule debate
The Stennis Space Center is just weeks away from returning to RS-25 engine testing, following the installation of Engine 0525 on the A-1 Test Stand. The milestone comes as the launch date for the first Space Launch System (SLS) mission – Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) – is almost certain to slip by at least six months,…
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Antares AJ-26 engine fails during Stennis testing
One of the AJ-26 engines set to launch with a future Antares rocket has failed during testing at the Stennis Space Center on Thursday. Sources claim the engine “exploded” on a Stand located in the E Complex at the famous rocket facility. The failure is currently under evaluation, although it may delay the next Antares…
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Four Shuttle veterans selected to drive SLS uphill on maiden flight
The four RS-25 engines selected for the debut launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) are veteran Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) with a rich history of successful flight. The four engines will be delivered to the Michoud Assembly Facility in the second half of 2015, ahead of being installed on the core stage of…
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RS-25 Second Life: SLS Core Stage engine set for summer testing
The RS-25 – the engine that enjoyed a hugely successful career with the Space Shuttle fleet – is set to begin its new life with the Space Launch System (SLS) this summer. Testing at the Stennis Space Center will initially focus on a new Main Engine Controller (MEC) and the ability to accommodate the full range of…
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SPMT: Providing transport to SLS core stages
NASA teams are finalizing the details on the Self Propelled Module Transporter (SPMT) that will allow for Space Launch System Structural Test Articles (STAs) and the Integrated Core Stage (ICS) to depart the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) en route to shipping to various NASA hubs, including the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). SPMT: SPMT’s are used all…
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Stennis preparing to throttle up SLS engine testing
NASA’s Stennis Space Center is deep into preparations for numerous engine testing for the Space Launch System (SLS), ranging from the old, the new and the miniature. Continued J-2X testing will next take place on the A-2 Test Stand, while the A-1 Test Stand will conduct RS-25 testing next year. Meanwhile the 116 Test Stand…
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The engines that refused to retire – RS-25s prepare for SLS testing
Following a 30 year career with the Space Shuttle Program, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s RS-25 engines are now preparing for their next role, with the Space Launch System (SLS). Tests involving the former Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) will begin at the Stennis Space Center in 2014. RS-25: The SSME has provided safe flight for…
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J-2X powerpack completes 2012 testing ahead of SLS role
The powerpack assembly for the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) J-2X engine has completed its year of testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The engine is set to provide the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) role for astronauts and hardware heading to destinations in deep space, should NASA opt to evolve SLS to the…
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SLS J-2X Upper Stage engine enjoys successful 500 second test fire
In a full 500 second test firing, the J-2X engine – a key part of the evolved Space Launch System (SLS) – has been put through its paces at NASA’s Stennis Space Center (SSC). Up to three of the powerful engines will power the Upper Stage of the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV), in configurations…