SLS - space launch system (3-я попытка)

Автор Salo, 16.02.2012 10:25:55

« назад - далее »

0 Пользователи и 1 гость просматривают эту тему.

tnt22

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-teams-load-artemis-i-rocket-hardware-on-barge-for-trip-to-kennedy/


Цитата: undefinedJuly 17, 2020

NASA Teams Load Artemis I Rocket Hardware on Barge for Trip to Kennedy

Teams at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, moved the Artemis I launch vehicle stage adapter for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket onto the agency's Pegasus barge July 17.

The adapter is the cone shaped piece that connects the rocket's core stage and interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). Pegasus will transport the flight hardware to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will be integrated with other parts of the rocket in preparation for launch. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars.


NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's launch vehicle stage adapter is loaded on the Pegasus barge at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, July 17. The launch vehicle stage adapter, which connects the rocket's 212-foot-tall core stage to the upper stage of the rocket, will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Artemis I launch preparations.
Credits: NASA/Fred Deaton


NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's launch vehicle stage adapter.
Credits: NASA/Fred Deaton

"The launch vehicle stage adapter for NASA's Space Launch System rocket was the final piece of Artemis I rocket hardware built exclusively at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center," said Marshall Director Jody Singer. "This milestone comes as Marshall teams just completed the structural test campaign of the SLS rocket that confirmed the rocket's structural design is ready for Artemis missions to the Moon."

Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle joined Singer and other Alabama officials to mark the event. Singer read a proclamation by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declaring  July 17th Artemis Day in Alabama: "Alabamians are exceedingly proud of the Space Launch System achievements of today, and the advances of tomorrow made possible by the upcoming Artemis missions that will continue to demonstrate NASA's benefit to humanity."

Many Alabama companies have built major parts of the rocket, including Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville that serves as the lead contractor for the launch vehicle stage adapter. The launch vehicle stage adapter's cone shape partially covers the ICPS to protect the RL10 rocket engine. The RL10, built by Aerojet Rocketdyne of Sacramento, California, powers the ICPS, built by Boeing and United Launch Alliance in Decatur, Alabama. The ICPS accelerates Orion fast enough to overcome Earth's gravity and set it on a precise trajectory to the Moon. Boeing also built the Artemis I core stage at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and that stage is currently undergoing final Green Run testing at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. After the arrival of the launch vehicle stage adapter in about two weeks, the core stage will be the final piece of Artemis I hardware to be delivered to Kennedy.

"The launch vehicle stage adapter is welded together as two separate cones that are then stacked on top of each other," said Keith Higginbotham, the launch vehicle stage adapter hardware manager. "Marshall's expertise with an innovative process called friction stir welding and the center's large robotic weld tools made it possible to build some pieces of the rocket at Marshall while the core stage was built at the same time by Boeing at Michoud."


Jody Singer, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama joins Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle for a look at the Artemis I launch vehicle stage adapter for NASA's Space Launch System rocket. It rolled out from Marshall manufacturing facilities to NASA's Pegasus barge July 17. The launch vehicle stage adapter will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the first launch for NASA's Artemis program. Huntsville-based Teledyne Brown Engineering built the launch vehicle stage at a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Marshall.
Credits: NASA/Fred Deaton


On July 17, the last piece of Space Launch System (SLS) rocket hardware built at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the first Artemis mission to the Moon was loaded on the Pegasus barge for delivery to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To mark the milestone, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declared July 17th Artemis Day in Alabama. The proclamation states: "Alabamians are exceedingly proud of the Space Launch System achievements of today, and the advances of tomorrow made possible by the upcoming Artemis missions that will continue to demonstrate NASA's benefit to humanity."
Read the proclamation here.

Marshall teams also built the Artemis I Orion stage adapter, which is at Kennedy along with the ICPS. Work is underway on the ICPS, the launch vehicle stage adapter and the Orion stage adapter for the rocket's second flight. Many SLS companies and suppliers are busy completing parts of the rocket for the Artemis II mission that will send astronauts to the Moon inside the Orion spacecraft.

"Teledyne Brown is committed to supporting NASA's Artemis program to return American astronauts to the Moon and are now manufacturing the launch vehicle stage adapter for the second Artemis lunar mission," said Jan Hess, president of Teledyne Brown Engineering.

NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. SLS is part of NASA's backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, the human landing system, and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon. SLS will be the most powerful rocket in the world and will send astronauts in the Orion spacecraft farther into space than ever before. No other rocket is capable of sending astronauts in Orion around the Moon.

Last Updated: July 17, 2020
Editor: Jennifer Harbaugh
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1284198608171077634/pu/vid/1280x720/fm_7X3wU_cNy2dEv.mp4 (0:21)

tnt22

ЦитироватьSpace Launch System Rocket Small-Scale Booster Test

 NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

7 авг. 2020 г.

A Space Launch System (SLS) rocket small-scale solid rocket booster roared to life during a 22-second test on Aug. 6 at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The test with a 24-inch booster will help engineers evaluate a new material for booster nozzle cleaning that may be used on future SLS rocket boosters. (NASA/Tyson Eason)

youtu.be/QX4amTUfd0o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX4amTUfd0o (1:13)

tnt22

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2020/08/06/nasa-motor-test-helps-evaluate-new-sls-materials/


ЦитироватьNASA Motor Test Helps Evaluate New SLS Materials

Kathryn Hambleton
Posted Aug 6, 2020 at 6:12 pm


A test firing with a 24-inch solid rocket booster on Aug. 6 at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama will help engineers evaluate a new cleaning solvent for Space Launch System (SLS) booster nozzles. Tests with the smaller motor segment provides data so that engineers can determine if the new material warrants further pursuit for use on future SLS rockets. (NASA/Tyson Eason)

Every detail that goes into space exploration matters. While habitat design or making sure a rocket is powerful enough to launch supplies are obviously important, what may be less apparent are the smaller things, including the solvents used in manufacturing materials for spaceflight.

On Aug. 6, a 22-second hot fire test in the East Test Area at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, helped NASA and Northrop Grumman Corporation in Promontory, Utah – the solid rocket booster prime contractor – evaluate a new nozzle material for the Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters. These boosters produce more than 75 percent of the power to launch the rocket.

The nozzle construction enables the boosters to provide consistent performance while withstanding the 5,000 degree Fahrenheit flame produced as the solid fuel is burned to launch the rocket.  Such material changes are checked out in phases from sub-scale to full-scale tests and this 24-inch motor was a significant step in that process. Using a 24-inch-diameter, 20-foot-long sub-scale test motor that burned nearly 1,800 pounds of propellant and produced 23,000 pounds of thrust, the team collected data to help verify use of the solvent on future SLS flights beyond Artemis III.

"This 24-inch motor test is to evaluate the material in a solid rocket motor environment and make sure that we don't get any unexpected changes in how it performs," said Tim Lawrence, manager for motor and booster separation motor systems at Marshall.

While the solid rocket boosters that will be used on NASA's Space Launch System – which this test supports – are 177 feet tall and 12 feet in diameter, the motor used in the test is still large enough to produce valuable data.

"This booster is only 24-inches but the ability to fire it in a test stand helps us get the data we need to confirm that we want to test it in a larger, full-scale test," Dennis Strickland, the test conductor said.

In addition to data about the solvent's effects on the material during motor operation, engineers also collected information about its behavior during booster assembly.

"The 24-inch motor is large enough that we were able to use the same processes to manufacture the nozzle as are used on the full-scale motor and that gives us confidence it will provide a good indication of full-scale performance," Lawrence explained.

While the verification test was to primarily support the SLS rocket, the test data may also be used by other government agencies to help advance their solid rocket propulsion technology as NASA and the agencies routinely share data with other government agencies and industry. Data sharing enhances capabilities and maximizes the return on investment for the taxpayer.

NASA's SLS booster is based on three decades of knowledge and experience gained with the space shuttle boosters and has been updated with the latest technology. The agency is working to design, develop, and test next-generation boosters that will power SLS flights after all available shuttle-era hardware is expended. NASA has cast segments for the Artemis I and Artemis II lunar missions, the first two SLS flights, and has begun casting the Artemis III mission. Northrop Grumman delivered the segments for Artemis I to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 15.

SLS and the Orion spacecraft, along with the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA's backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis program, which will send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface by 2024. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon on a single mission.

tnt22

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/four-down-four-to-go-artemis-i-rocket-moves-closer-to-hot-fire-test.html

ЦитироватьAug. 7, 2020
Four Down, Four to Go: Artemis I Rocket Moves Closer to Hot Fire Test

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage for the Artemis I lunar mission has successfully completed its first four Green Run tests and is building on those tests for the next phase of checkout as engineers require more capability of the hardware before hot-firing the stage and its four powerful engines.

Green Run is a demanding series of eight tests and nearly 30 firsts: first loading of the propellant tanks, first flow through the propellant feed systems, first firing of all four engines, and first exposure of the stage to the vibrations and temperatures of launch.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is completing the Green Run test for the rocket's core stage.
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is completing the Green Run test for the rocket's core stage, shown installed on the top left side of the B-2 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. For Green Run, the team is completing a series of eight tests culminating with Test 8, a full-up hot fire test that lasts eight minutes. Flames from the test will exit out of the yellow flame bucket shown here on the north side of the test stand. The B-2 test stand has dual positions and the right side of the stand is used for other testing. The SLS core stage is being tested for the first time testing prior to its use on the Artemis I lunar mission.
Credits: NASA/Stennis

"We are methodically bringing several complex systems to life and checking them out during the first seven tests," explained SLS Stages Manager Julie Bassler. "Then it is show time for the eighth test when we put it all together and fire up the rocket's core stage, just like we'll fire it up for the Artemis I launch to the Moon."

On Aug. 5, engineers at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St Louis, Mississippi, where the stage is loaded into the B-2 Test Stand, completed the fourth of eight planned tests of the 212-foot-tall core stage. For Test 4, engineers performed the initial functional checkout of the main propulsion system components to verify command and control operability (valve response, timing, etc.) and performed leak checks on the core stage-to-facility umbilical fluid and gas connections.

"With test gases flowing through this many parts of a complex rocket stage, we expected the test team to encounter some issues," said Jonathan Looser, who manages the SLS core stage main propulsion system. "Historically, there's never been a NASA human-rated launch vehicle flown without one or more full-up tests before flight, and they have all encountered first-time issues. As expected, we found a few with valves and seals and addressed them, and now we're ready to complete the next four Green Run tests."

The Green Run testing series formally started in January with modal testing to verify computer models and support guidance and navigation control systems. In March, the test series was interrupted by a shutdown related to COVID-19 cases in Mississippi. When testing resumed in May with appropriate safety measures in place, the team completed Test 2, activation of computers, data collection health monitoring and other "avionics" that make up the brains and nervous system of the core stage. Test 3 was a check of the fail-safe systems that shut down the stage in a contingency situation. Each test builds on the prior test and is longer than the previous one, adding new hardware activations to those already completed.  

For Test 4, functional and leak checks of the stage main propulsion systems and engines lasted three weeks. Engineers were able to conduct the test with gaseous nitrogen and helium, which is more efficient than using liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellants, which are only needed for the actual hot-fire test.  As these gases flowed through systems, special instrumentation monitored for any leaks or poor connections.

Next up for the Green Run team is Test 5. It will ensure the stage thrust vector control system works correctly, which includes huge components that steer the four RS-25 engines, called actuators, and provides hydraulics to the engine valves.

Test 6 simulates the launch countdown to validate the countdown timeline and sequence of events. This includes the step-by-step fueling procedures in addition to the previous test steps of powering on the avionics and simulated propellant loading and pressurization.

As one final checkout before the full firing test, Test 7 is called the "wet dress rehearsal," meaning it builds on the simulations in Test 6 and includes fueling the rocket. After once again powering on the avionics, hydraulic systems, fail-safe systems, and other related systems that have been checked out in the prior six tests, the team will load, control, and drain more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic, or super cold, propellants.

Only after passing these seven tests will it be time for Test 8, a full countdown and hot fire test for up to eight minutes. During the test, all four RS-25 engines will be firing at a full, combined 1.6 million pounds of thrust just as they will on the launch pad. Test 8 will be the final checkout to verify the stage is ready for launch. Afterward, engineers will prepare the stage for its trip to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"We want to find any issues here on the ground at Stennis, where we've added hundreds of special ground test sensors to the stage for Green Run," said Ryan McKibben, one of the Stennis Green Run test conductors.  "We have great access to the stage on the B-2 Test Stand and have engineers and technicians on hand who are familiar with this stage."

By the time all eight Green Run tests are complete, Boeing, the prime contractor for the core stage, estimates it will collect 75-100 terabytes of data, not including voice and video data collected. And that's a lot of homework considering that all the data in the Library of Congress amounts to just 15 terabytes.

NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. SLS and Orion, along with the human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around Moon, are NASA's backbone for deep space exploration. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Green Run Checklist infographic Test 4.

Last Updated: Aug. 8, 2020
Editor: Lee Mohon

tnt22

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2020/08/19/launch-team-fires-up-fueling-simulation/
https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2020/08/19/artemis-i-launch-team-fires-up-fueling-simulation/

ЦитироватьArtemis I Launch Team Fires Up Fueling Simulation

Danielle Sempsrott
Posted Aug 19, 2020 at 4:38 pm


Inside the Launch Control Center's Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the Artemis I launch team rehearse the procedures for fueling the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with super cold propellants, or cryogenics, on Aug. 18, 2020. Photo credit: NASA/Chad Siwik

The launch team for Artemis I is back in the firing room at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for more practice. The team conducted a simulation on the procedures for cryogenic loading, or fueling the Space Launch Systemrocket with super cold propellants. During simulations potential problems are introduced to the team to test the application of firing room tools, processes, and procedures.

The Exploration Ground Systems team of launch controllers who will oversee the countdown and liftoff of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will be practicing the procedures several more times ahead of launch. Special protocols have been put in place to keep personnel safe and healthy, including limiting personnel in the firing room, using acrylic dividers and adjusting assigned seating for the cryo team.

tnt22

Цитировать Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight 49 мин. назад

September 2 set for the SLS Flight Support Booster (FSB-1) Static Fire test of a five seg solid motor, in Promontory, Utah.

tnt22

К #2550

Официально

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-highlight-artemis-booster-test-with-live-broadcast-media-teleconference

ЦитироватьAug. 27, 2020
MEDIA ADVISORY M20-095

NASA to Highlight Artemis Booster Test with Live Broadcast, Media Teleconference


Teams have installed the flight support booster (FSB) for later versions of the solid rocket boosters on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket into the test stand in Promontory, Utah. NASA and Northrop Grumman, the SLS booster lead contractor, will conduct a two-minute, full-duration test with the booster on Sept. 2. Engineers will use data from the test to evaluate new materials and developments for SLS rockets that will power NASA's Artemis lunar missions beyond Artemis III.
Credits: Northrop Grumman

NASA will broadcast a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket full-scale booster test at 2:40 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 2, on NASA Television and the agency's website, followed by a media teleconference.

The Flight Support Booster-1 test builds on three full-scale development test firings and two qualification test firings NASA and Northrop Grumman successfully completed with the five-segment solid rocket motor in preparation for the first three Artemis missions.

The Sept. 2 test at Northrop Grumman facilities in Promontory, Utah, will help teams evaluate potential new materials, processes, and improvements for the boosters that will power deep space missions beyond Artemis III. The test also will provide another opportunity to evaluate motor manufacturing and performance.

About an hour and 30 minutes after the test, media will have the opportunity to participate in a teleconference with:

  • Bruce Tiller, manager of the SLS boosters office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
  • Charlie Precourt, vice president of propulsion systems at Northrop Grumman, in Promontory

...

During the broadcast, anyone can submit questions on Twitter using the hashtag #AskNASA. Updates on the test will be posted on the Artemis blog.

Powered by four RS-25 engines and two boosters, the SLS rocket produces more than 8 million pounds of thrust to power missions to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. The twin five-segment solid rocket boosters produce more than 75% of the rocket's thrust during the first two minutes of ascent.

This latest booster test will take place as teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida begin assembling the boosters for Artemis I, the first launch of SLS and NASA's Orion spacecraft.

The SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, Gateway, and human landing system are part of NASA's backbone for deep space exploration. The Artemis program is the next step in human space exploration and is part of America's broader Moon to Mars exploration approach, in which astronauts will explore the Moon. Experience gained there will enable humanity's next giant leap: sending humans to Mars.

For additional resources, including imagery and interviews for the test, visit the digital press kit:


-end-

Last Updated: Aug. 27, 2020
Editor: Sean Potter
[/font]
Начало трансляции - 2 сентября 2020 г. в 18:40 UTC / 21:40 ДМВ

tnt22

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/multimedia/sls-flight-support-booster-test-infographic.html

ЦитироватьAug. 25, 2020

To the Moon and Beyond: SLS Flight Support Booster Test



To support future flights of NASA's powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, NASA and Northrop Grumman, the SLS booster lead contractor, will conduct a full-scale Flight Support Booster (FSB-1) test in Promontory, Utah, on Sept. 2. The SLS rocket utilizes two, five-segment solid rocket boosters to help launch NASA's Artemis missions to the Moon. NASA and Northrop Grumman have completed testing for the boosters used for the first three Artemis missions of the agency's lunar program. FSB-1 builds upon prior tests of the rocket's five-segment solid rocket booster to evaluate improvements and new materials in the boosters for missions beyond Artemis III. The test will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency's website at 2:40 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. The SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, Gateway, and Human Landing System are part of NASA's backbone for deep space exploration. The Artemis program is the next step in human space exploration. It's part of America's broader Moon to Mars exploration approach, in which astronauts will explore the Moon. Experience gained there will enable humanity's next giant leap: sending humans to Mars. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Image Credit: NASA/Kevin O'Brien

Last Updated: Aug. 25, 2020
Editor: Jennifer Harbaugh

tnt22

К #2551

ЦитироватьWatch Crews Install SLS Rocket Flight Support Booster into Test Stand

 NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

1 сент. 2020 г.

youtu.be/mQgUg3N-yOk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQgUg3N-yOk (0:47)

tnt22

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2020/09/02/space-launch-system-booster-test-for-artemis-missions/

ЦитироватьSpace Launch System Booster Test for Artemis Missions

Kathryn Hambleton
Posted Sep 2, 2020 at 9:11 am

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) will conduct a test of Flight Support Booster-1 (FSB-1) Sept. 2, 2020 at Northrop Grumman's test facility in Promontory, Utah. Northrop Grumman manufactures the two five-segment solid rocket boosters that will provide more than 75 percent of the vehicle's thrust for the first two minutes of ascent. Live coverage of the test will begin at 2:45 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency's website.

FSB-1 is a full-scale, five-segment solid rocket booster ground test that supports flights of NASA's Space Launch System. This is the same model booster that will power the SLS rocket and Orion capsule on the Artemis I mission. The test is scheduled for 1:05 MDT,  3:05 p.m. EDT and has a planned duration of a little over 2 minutes, the same amount of time that the boosters power the rocket during liftoff and flight. The objective of the test is to confirm motor performance and manufacturing quality for potential new materials and processes that will be used in boosters supporting future Artemis missions.
2 сентября 2020 г. в 19:05 UTC / 22:05 ДМВ

tnt22


tnt22

Цитировать Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight 6 мин. назад

Mr. Bridenstine knows about Starship/Super Heavy, but you can appreciate he can't go blurting it out on a NASA TV event.

But yeah, it's a case of "hold my beer" on "Most powerful".
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1301231843765817345/pu/vid/1200x664/ez9FE1cTIvUtpjDc.mp4 (0:09)

tnt22


tnt22

Цитировать Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight 37 с

Ignition! SLS booster static fire test. Two minute test.
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1301235082884153344/pu/vid/1200x652/leZTuz0Ne1BQaYWM.mp4 (0:37)

tnt22

Цитировать Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight 34 с

Looks like it was a good test. The robotic extinguisher is not because of any fire risk, it's to try and protect the internals so they can see what the hardware looks like closer to the time of tail off.
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1301235763095515137/pu/vid/1200x652/4AJflq3Npn6-a7jO.mp4 (0:36)

tnt22


tnt22


tnt22

Цитировать NASA @NASA 5 мин. назад

Today's test is not only about power — it's also about the technical innovations that will help us explore the Moon and beyond. Our engineers and technicians will continue to analyze the data and use it to improve future rocket boosters on future #Artemis missions:
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1301236323215314944/vid/1280x720/sCMJwEdDqV3JJ0ql.mp4 (0:31)

tnt22

ЦитироватьSpace Launch System Rocket Booster Test

NASA

Трансляция началась 28 минут назад

youtu.be/EOyBNUJ5bA8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOyBNUJ5bA8 (27:24)

tnt22

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/nasa-conducts-sls-booster-test-for-future-artemis-missions.html

Цитировать

Sept. 2, 2020

NASA Conducts SLS Booster Test for Future Artemis Missions

As NASA begins assembling the boosters for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will power the first Artemis mission to the Moon, teams in Utah are evaluating materials and processes to improve rocket boosters for use on missions after Artemis III.

NASA completed a full-scale booster test for NASA's Space Launch System rocket in Promontory, Utah, on Sept. 2. NASA and Northrop Grumman, the SLS booster lead contractor, will use data from the test to evaluate the motor's performance using potential new materials and processes that can be incorporated into future boosters. NASA has a contract with Northrop Grumman to build boosters for future rocket flights.

"Landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon is just the beginning of NASA's Artemis Program," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "The SLS flight support booster firing is a crucial part of sustaining missions to the Moon.  NASA's goal is to take what we learn living and working on the Moon and use it to send humans on the first missions to Mars."


NASA and Northrop Grumman successfully complete the Flight Support Booster-1 (FSB-1) test in Promontory, Utah, on Sept. 2. The full-scale booster firing was conducted with new materials and processes that may be used for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket boosters. NASA and Northrop Grumman, the SLS boosters lead contractor, will use data from the test to evaluate the motor's performance using potential new materials and processes for Artemis missions beyond the initial Moon landing in 2024.The SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful boosters ever built for flight. The two boosters on the rocket provide more than 75% of the thrust needed to launch NASA's future deep space missions through NASA's Artemis lunar program. Northrop Grumman is the lead contractor for the SLS boosters.

For a little over two minutes — the same amount of time that the boosters power the SLS rocket during liftoff and flight for each Artemis mission — the five-segment flight support booster fired in the Utah desert, producing more than 3 million pounds of thrust.

NASA and Northrop Grumman have previously completed three development motor tests and two qualification motor tests. Today's test, called Flight Support Booster-1 (FSB-1), builds on prior tests with the introduction of propellant ingredients from new suppliers for boosters on SLS rockets to support flights after Artemis III.

"NASA is simultaneously making progress on assembling and manufacturing the solid rocket boosters for the first three Artemis missions and looking ahead toward missions beyond the initial Moon landing," said John Honeycutt, the SLS Program Manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "Today marks the first flight support booster test to confirm the rocket motor's performance using potential new materials for Artemis IV and beyond."

The SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful boosters ever built for flight. The flight support booster used in the test is the same size and has the same power as the flight version of a five-segment solid rocket booster used for NASA's Artemis missions. The Artemis I boosters are currently being prepared for launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"This flight support booster test is the first motor firing NASA and Northrop Grumman have completed since qualifying the booster design for the Space Launch System rocket," said Bruce Tiller, SLS Boosters Office Manager at Marshall. "Full-scale booster tests are rare, so NASA tries to test multiple objectives at one time so we are highly confident that any changes we make to the boosters will still enable them to perform as expected on launch day."

NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. The SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, Gateway, and human landing system are part of NASA's backbone for deep space exploration. The Artemis program is the next step in human space exploration as part of America's broader Moon to Mars exploration approach. Experience gained at the Moon will enable humanity's next giant leap: sending humans to Mars. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Last Updated: Sept. 2, 2020
Editor: Jennifer Harbaugh