Posted on 08/14/2015 6:36:46 AM PDT by BenLurkin
(Aug. 13) successful test firing of an RS-25 main stage engine for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) monster rocket currently under development, the program passed a key milestone advancing the agency on the path to propel astronauts back to deep space at the turn of the decade.
The 535 second long test firing of the RS-25 development engine was conducted on the A-1 test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi – and ran for the planned full duration of nearly 9 minutes, matching the time they will fire during an actual SLS launch.
All indications are that the hot fire test apparently went off without a hitch, on first look.
“We ran the full duration and met all test objectives,” said Steve Wofford, SLS engine manager, on NASA TV following today’s’ test firing.
“There were no anomalies.” – based on the initial look.
The RS-25 is actually an upgraded version of former space shuttle main engines that were used with a 100% success rate during NASA’s three decade-long Space Shuttle program to propel the now retired shuttle orbiters to low Earth orbit. Those same engines are now being modified for use by the SLS.
...
The core stage (first stage) of the SLS will be powered by four RS-25 engines and a pair of the five-segment solid rocket boosters that will generate a combined 8.4 million pounds of liftoff thrust, making it the most powerful rocket the world has ever seen.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
“... SLS will be the world’s most powerful rocket ever built ‘by muslim rocket engineers’.” Charlie musta forgot to add that part.
I worked at Michoud on the Space Shuttle External Tank from ‘75-’87 before transferring to KSC to work on launches. When I first hired on we didn’t even have any tooling to build the tanks so we had to build it all. Looks like they used some of the tech we developed to build this super welder. Will the U.S. really ever get back to human space flight?
The SLS’s RS-25 rocket engine only has one third the thrust of the Saturn V’s old F-1.
Not very eventful but it does work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEhHRXDFkeU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Gv7qDxgUE
Pffft! Compared to the Saturn V, this thing is a bottle rocket.
Why are they even building this? Gonna launch Muslims into space?
How many RS-25 engines are there remaining from the Shuttle for use on the SLS?
How far along is the RS-25E replacement?
Never happen - 5 prayers per day times 15 orbits = getting no work done whatsoever.
I once heard someone say an Apollo launch was way more impressive than a shuttle or satellite launch.
As a kid I lived in Cocoa Beach, FL for a year and saw Apollo 12 and 13. Classes were briefly suspended so we all could go outside to watch the liftoffs. From miles away you still felt the thunder of the first stage F-1 engines in your chest.
Sorry to say I've never seen a Shuttle launch to compare.
Wow! That seems to be a remarkably good engine. Notice that the expansion nozzle does not get particularly hot and the upper plumbing continues to be cold. The cooling system and the insulation properties of this engine are impressive. The F-1 got so hot that you almost felt that you could see through the bell.
The hot gas exiting the nozzle is transparent. That means they managed to eek most of the energy from the propellant before it exited and that the combustion was fairly complete. Being really hot, it does emit light after it exits the nozzle.
This must be a hydrogen/oxygen engine since the exhaust seems to be water vapor.
The duration of this test is down right freaky. The Saturn could burn for 90 seconds before it was toast.
The people watching were a lot closer to the test stand than could be safe for watching an F-1 engine. The observers in the block house were one mile away from the test stand when the F-1 engines were tested. Sound from those babies was lethal.
Gee, and I thought there was nobody around to design engines in the US. Well, there certainly are rocket engine designers on somebody's payroll!
Yep, an F-1 engine produced more than three times the thrust as does this one. Still, this one looks to be more efficient, and certainly clean burning.
The Saturn launch was an earthquake in the air! It was very impressive in every way. The sound from it could kill people from about one mile. Each F-1 engine produced more that three times the thrust as the RS-25. With five of them, it raised quite a ruckus.
The F-1 burned kerosine and liquid oxygen and produced a lot of smoke. Just after ignition and just before burn out that smoke was black soot. Ah, how I loved the Saturn V and Apollo.
For a burn rate, consider that each engine consumed the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pool full of fuel in 90 seconds.
Why does the article claim most powerful rocket engine ever?
The shuttle wasn't nearly impressive. It did, on the other hand, leave the scene in a hurry. After waiting for well over four hours to see the launch, it was completely out of sight in about forty seconds. One could observe the growing trail for a while longer.
Might be worth it if they launched ALL of them... :)
They didn't claim that. The rocket will be the most powerful, with eight of those newer engines. That will provide over 8,000,000 pounds of thrust.
I'm with you. The F-1 is still the champion of champions.
That is what I have been told. I'm too young for Apollo and never saw a shuttle launch but did get to see a satellite launch. We were on vacation and stopped by the water a few miles from the launch site. We thought it was impressive. We were also told that we were lucky to be able to see a launch on our first try. Apparently delays for one reason or the other are pretty common.
OK, they didn’t, my bad, thx for the correction.
So they`re throwing away reusable liquid fuel engines?
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