Новости Aerojet Rocketdyne

[Salo]

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/02/nasa-releases-rfi-new-orion-service-module-engine/

NASA releases Request For Information for new Orion Service Module engine
 written by Chris Gebhardt February 15, 2018  
 
 
NASA has released a Request For Information for a new engine the agency will use on the Orion European Service Module beginning with EM-6 (Exploration Mission 6).  The Request For Information states that the engine is needed by mid-2024 in order to support the EM-6 flight of the Space Launch System, which under the currently in effect budget and operational timeline for NASA will be No Earlier Than 2027.

Orion Service Module engine RFI:
As part of NASA's plan to utilize as much hardware that remained at the end of the Space Shuttle program as possible for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion capsule, the agency mandated that Orion's European Service Module (ESM) utilize the leftover Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines for the first five Orion/ESM flights.
The supply of available Shuttle OMS engines will run out after EM-5, currently slated for No Earlier Than 2026, as the European Service Module is expended at the end of each flight and not reused.  As such, NASA requires a replacement engine beginning with EM-6, and the agency took the first step toward that replacement yesterday in releasing a Request For Information (RFI) to the aerospace industry.

The Orion and European Service Module (with left-over Space Shuttle OMS engine) docked with the under construction Deep Space Gateway on the EM-3 mission. Credit: Nathan Koga for NSF/L2
 
"NASA invites industry to submit a response to this Request For Information to assist NASA in planning for the development of a new Service Module Main Engine for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle."
All RFI responses are due by 16 March 2018 to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and according to the RFI document, "are intended to provide input for an assessment of a new engine for the ESM with respect to the constraining performance and interface requirements.
 See Also

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• Orion Forum Section
• L2 Orion Section
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"NASA desires a low cost replacement engine to minimize program cost and schedule impacts to the Orion vehicle.  The replacement engine shall minimize development time for an engine and reduce manufacturing/production costs while still meeting NASA programmatic, technical, design, construction, and workmanship approaches and standards for human rating."
However, because the Orion ESM has been designed to use the leftover Shuttle OMS engines, the needed replacement engine must meet strict and already determined operational constraints and a host of other already-determined requirements.
Thus, NASA's RFI is a way to ensure the agency is following the best practices possible to keep the cost of the new engine down while still meeting all safety and timeline requirements.
Constraining parameters:
Based on the current Shuttle OMS engine parameters, NASA's RFI for the new service module engine states that the engine must have a minimum specific impulse (ISP) of 310 seconds using already established Standard Inlet Conditions.

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and European Service Module. Credit: NASA
 
According to the RFI, those Standard Inlet Conditions include a fuel inlet pressure of 244 psia, an oxidizer inlet pressure of 240 psia, and a propellant temperature of 70℉.
The engine must also be able to produce roughly 6,000 lbf of steady-state thrust in a vacuum with an engine thrust roughness "less than +5% of average steady state thrust."
Moreover, the engine must reach 90% of steady-state thrust within 0.45 seconds (+/- 0.1 seconds) of receiving the "on" command while also not exceeding a peek overthrust of 150% of the mean steady-state thrust upon engine start.
The new engine must also use an oxidizer to fuel mixture ratio of 1.65 (+/- 0.03), carry a maximum weight of "~284 lbf" and a length of roughly 79 inches (with a max "head end to gimbal" length of 23 inches).

Drawing of the current OMS engine for the European Service Module, showing length and height requirements/recommendations. Credit: NASA
 
The current Shuttle OMS engine "gimbal to nozzle exit" length of 56 inches can be varied on the new engine, and the RFI specifically notes that if such a variance is suggested that the RFI answering company provide insight as to why.
Additionally, the engine must be able to gimbal greater than +/- 6 degrees in pitch and yaw during operation, must not exceed a maximum power consumption of 309 W, must be able to restart as soon as 240 seconds after its previous shutdown, and must be capable of supporting a mission duration of a minimum of 21 days for lunar missions and 210 days of "quiescent duration in cislunar or transit conditions."
But the engine's space-base and operational requirements aren't the only points of information requested by NASA.  The agency also released a set of requirements for the engine's ground support, control of catastrophic hazards requirements, failure detection for crew safety requirements, independent confirmation of failure assessments, and reliability.
Specifically, NASA requested information on the ground handling elements for the engine, including installation, checkout, loading, cleaning, installation in Europe, testing in Europe and the United States, testing at various NASA centers/facilities, as well as launch preparations.
https://youtu.be/ZNW174YuFyo
https://youtu.be/ZNW174YuFyo
In terms of catastrophic hazards, the new ESM engine "shall provide failure tolerance to catastrophic hazards with no less than single failure tolerance except for areas approved by NASA or designed for minimum risk, zero failure tolerance, or integrated hazard controls."  Additionally, the engine must be able to detect failures that "could result in a catastrophic or critical hazard."
Importantly, the engine must have a strong reliability potential and confidence level for two types of missions.  For crewed lunar orbit flights, the engine must have a reliability of success probability of 99.8% and a minimum confidence level of 95%.  For lunar sortie missions, the engine must have a reliability of success probability of 99.7% and a similar minimum confidence level of 95%.
Given the already above established requirements, the RFI released by NASA listed several requested response topics, including but not limited to engine assembly configuration conceptual design, performance, and capabilities; engine life cycle design maturity and Technology Readiness Level assessments; development of long-term affordability considerations; funding and schedule profiles; and suggestions for potential cost-sharing opportunities between industry and government.

The Orion European Service Module performs an orbit adjustment burn during a future flight. Credit: Nathan Koga for NSF/L2
 
Importantly, the RFI is not a request for a company to bid to build the engine, nor is it a guarantee that NASA will use or give credit for any design changes implemented to the new ESM engine based on the information received through the RFI process.
"The specific objective of this RFI is to solicit information that may potentially enhance NASA's planned approach for an OMS engine replacement, including engine subassembly, nozzle extension, and heat shield assembly, and assist in developing the acquisition strategy," notes the RFI document.
Moreover, NASA's RFI also states that "This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited.  NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI on a non-attribution basis.  The information received may be used in developing the best approach for fulfilling these requirements, and therefore, may be recognizable to the interested party."

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 4 мин. назад

ARTICLE: RL10 engine – pushing towards 60 years of service – to live on with Vulcan -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/rl10-engine-60-years-service-live-vulcan/ ...

Vulcan render by Nathan Koga (@kogavfx)

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http://www.rocket.com/article/aerojet-rocketdyne-successfully-demonstrates-low-cost-high-thrust-space-engine

Aerojet Rocketdyne Successfully Demonstrates Low-Cost, High Thrust Space Engine

REDMOND, Wash., May 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully completed hot-fire testing of a new in-space engine, designated ISE-100. Developed for commercial in-space applications, ISE-100 has the potential to be a critical element for future lunar robotic missions. Producing 100 pounds of thrust, the ISE engine has the capability to provide downward thrust during landing, easing spacecraft down to the lunar surface. ISE-100 is the latest in-space engine developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne, adding to our portfolio of mission-proven thrusters that have propelled spacecraft to every planet in the solar system and interstellar space, and provided landing propulsion for Mars and asteroid missions.

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"As the nation sets its sights back on the Moon, Aerojet Rocketdyne stands ready to support commercial and NASA endeavors with reliable and affordable propulsion systems, like our new ISE-100 engine," said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen Drake.

Utilizing MON-25/MMH propellants, the ISE-100 is an affordable and dependable engine option for commercial operators to power spacecraft. MON-25 is a high performance storable oxidizer with a low freezing point that is particularly well suited to deep space environments. Another element of the low cost design approach is the engine's additively manufactured Titanium injector, which completed the entire test series without anomaly.

During the test program, the engine successfully accumulated 75 individual tests, 774 pulses and more than 500 seconds of hot-fire time. Key tests performed in this program included multiple long duration steady state burns; multiple short pulse trains; and a long endurance duty cycle, representative of potential robotic lunar lander missions.

"We've developed and demonstrated an engine that is low cost, high performance and capable of landing payloads on the Moon," said Aerojet Rocketdyne's Vice President of Advanced Space Programs Julie Van Kleeck.

The ISE-100 engine will now move fr om the development phase to the certification phase wh ere it will undergo additional configuration testing with flight qualified materials.

Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), is an innovative company delivering solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense markets. The company is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets. Additional information about Aerojet Rocketdyne can be obtained by visiting our websites at www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com.


Hot-fire test of Aerojet Rocketdyne's ISE-100 thruster conducted at the company's Redmond, Washington test facility

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Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust May 22

Greg Jones, Aerojet Rocketdyne: with RL10 selections by ULA and Orbital, our factor in West Palm Beach will be filled up for a long time. #SpaceTechExpo

Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust May 22

Jones: we'll be doing test in June of the main engine for Boeing's Phantom Express spaceplane, firing it ten times in ten days. #SpaceTechExpo

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https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/04/1516509/0/en/First-Engine-Assembled-for-DARPA-and-Boeing-Reusable-Experimental-Spaceplane.html

First Engine Assembled for DARPA and Boeing Reusable Experimental Spaceplane

June 04, 2018 15:00 ET | Source: Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc.

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss., June 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed assembly of its first AR-22 rocket engine built for Boeing (NYSE:BA) as part of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Experimental Spaceplane program. This new Boeing spaceplane, called Phantom Express, is intended to demonstrate a new paradigm for more routine, responsive and affordable space access.

Aerojet Rocketdyne's AR-22 engine, derived from the Space Shuttle Main Engine that was designed from the outset for reusability, is the main propulsion for Phantom Express.

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"Phantom Express builds on our legacy of reusable space flight experience to provide the ability to quickly augment and replace on-orbit capabilities, which face an increasing array of threats from potential adversaries," said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. "Our immediate task is to demonstrate this rapid turnaround capability for this engine on the ground, paving the way for a demonstration program."

The AR-22 engine is capable of generating about 375,000 pounds (170,097 kg) of thrust and was designed to fly 55 missions with service every 10 missions. This reusability feature makes the AR-22 ideally suited for Phantom Express.

The reusable Phantom Express spaceplane will take off vertically and land horizontally. The vehicle will be equipped with an expendable second stage capable of placing up to 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit.

"The aircraft-like operations of Phantom Express are an important factor in the rapid turnaround of this spaceplane," said AR-22 Program Manager Jeff Haynes. "Additionally, the engine has a hinged nacelle that makes it easier to access and inspect the engines for rapid turnaround."

Aerojet Rocketdyne assembled the AR-22 at its facility at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The engine will undergo a series of daily hot-fire tests at Stennis starting this summer to demonstrate its ability to support the high flight rates envisioned for Phantom Express. These tests will also provide valuable insight that will be used to refine Phantom Express flight and turnaround procedures, while also informing the design requirements for the new ground infrastructure that Boeing is developing for the flight program.

Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), is an innovative company delivering solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense markets. The company is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets. Additional information about Aerojet Rocketdyne can be obtained by visiting our websites at www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c4cbd07-1aba-4c41-a108-3529d3b7deac


http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/651ff68f-7c00-43bd-b650-5c85a1f0f5be

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http://spacenews.com/rl10-engine-added-to-air-force-agreement-with-aerojet-rocketdyne/

RL10 engine added to Air Force agreement with Aerojet Rocketdyne
by Jeff Foust — June 26, 2018


A 3D-printed thrust chamber for the RL10 engine undergoes a hotfire test. Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to use technologies like additive manufacturing in the development of the RL10C-X engine, which is now supported by a revised agreement with the Air Force. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

RENTON, Wash. — Aerojet Rocketdyne and the U.S. Air Force have revised an existing agreement supporting development of a new large rocket engine to include work on an updated version of an upper stage engine.

The company announced June 25 that it signed a modification of its Rocket Propulsion System other transaction authority agreement with the Air Force to incorporate work on the RL10C-X engine. The original agreement, signed in February 2016, covered work on the AR1 booster engine.

The RL10C-X is an updated version of the RL10 currently used on the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 launch vehicles. The updated version makes used of advanced technologies, such as additive manufacturing, to lower production costs while maintaining performance and reliability.

"Aerojet Rocketdyne has extensive experience building rocket engines for most of the nation's preeminent launch vehicles and we will continue that legacy with the RL10C-X engine," Eileen Drake, president and chief executive of Aerojet Rocketdyne, said in a statement.

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The modified agreement comes after two companies announced plans to use the RL10 in the upper stages of next-generation launch vehicles they are developing. In April, Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems) announced it sel ected the RL10 for the upper stage of its OmegA rocket. In May, United Launch Alliance announced it would use the RL10 in the upper stage of its Vulcan rocket, including working with Aerojet on the development of the RL10C-X.

The modified agreement, Aerojet said, continues to support for work on the AR1 engine. Drake said in the statement that development of the "first complete AR1" is in progress, with hotfire tests scheduled for 2019.

The AR1 is one of two engines under consideration by ULA to power the first stage of the Vulcan rocket. The other, Blue Origin's BE-4, started hotfire tests last October. In a June 19 speech at the Amazon Web Services Public Sector Summit in Washington, Rob Meyerson, senior vice president of Blue Origin, said testing of the BE-4 was continuing with "full qualification" of the engine expected in 2019.

ULA executives have said for months that a decision on the engine it will use for Vulcan will come "soon," but have not offered more specific timelines or other updates on the engine selection process.

ULA is one of several companies seeking awards from the Air Force called Launch Service Agreements to support continued development of their new vehicles. Other competitors include Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX. The Air Force is expected to award up to three such agreements later this summer.

The Aerojet announcement didn't disclose financial terms of the revised agreement, but a June 22 contract announcement by the Defense Department listed the value of the award modification at $69.8 million. That announcement did not disclose how much funding was supporting the new RL10C-X work versus continued AR1 development.

The announcement also did not disclose if any other terms of the agreement changed. In February, the Air Force confirmed that Aerojet approached the Air Force about reducing the share of overall development costs paid for by the company fr om one third to one sixth.

"The Air Force has gained the necessary approvals to do so, if a mutually beneficial arrangement can be reached with Aerojet Rocketdyne," the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) said in a Feb. 14 statement about a potential modification of the the cost-share portion of the agreement. "The Air Force and Aerojet Rocketdyne are still in discussions, but are working very hard to find closure on a restructured agreement."

Aerojet Rocketdyne spokesperson Mary Engola referred questions on contract details, including the split of funding between the AR1 and RL10 projects and any changes in the cost-sharing arrangements, to SMC. An SMC spokesperson was not able to immediately answer questions on those topics late June 25.

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http://www.rocket.com/article/orion-jettison-motor-ready-crew-escape-system-test

Orion Jettison Motor Ready for Crew Escape System Test

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne recently passed a key milestone in preparation for the Ascent Abort Test (AA-2) next year with the successful casting of the Jettison Motor for the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft's Launch Abort System (LAS).

AA-2 is a full-stress test of NASA's Orion LAS, which includes the Jettison Motor built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The Orion Jettison Motor is used to separate the LAS fr om Orion as it makes its way to space and is the only motor on the escape system to activate in all mission scenarios.

In the unlikely event of an emergency on the launch pad or during ascent, the LAS would activate within milliseconds to whisk Orion and its astronaut crew to safety. Once Orion reaches a safe distance from the rocket, the Orion Jettison Motor would ignite to separate the LAS structure from the spacecraft, which could then deploy its parachutes for a safe landing.

During the AA-2 test, a solid rocket booster will launch a fully functional LAS and an Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet at Mach 1.3 (over 1,000 mph) to test out the functionality of the LAS system prior to flying humans. The Jettison Motor will fire last in the test sequence.

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"Every time our engineers work on products supporting the Orion spacecraft or the Space Launch System rocket, they have astronaut safety front and center of mind," said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen Drake. "The AA-2 test is a critical step to testing the Launch Abort System and our Jettison Motor and ensuring our astronauts always return home safely to their families."

The Orion Jettison Motor, which generates 40,000 pounds of thrust, uses a propellant that is poured into a motor casing, wh ere it cures over a period of several days to form a solid, stable cast that burns in a precisely controlled fashion.

The AA-2 Jettison Motor casting took place at Aerojet Rocketdyne's motor production facility in Sacramento, California. The completed motor will now be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for integration with the LAS by Lockheed Martin.

"The casting of the Orion Jettison Motor marks a critical step as we prepare for the first integrated flight of SLS and Orion to test the systems that will be used to take astronauts to the vicinity of the Moon and to other exciting destinations," added Drake.

Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), is an innovative company delivering solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense markets. The company is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets. Additional information about Aerojet Rocketdyne can be obtained by visiting our websites at www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com.

Aerojet Rocketdyne technicians inspect the Jettison Motor for the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft's Launch Abort System (LAS) at its facility in Sacramento, Calif.


The Jettison Motor built by Aerojet Rocketdyne for the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft's Launch Abort System (LAS) that will be tested during the Ascent Abort Test (AA-2) next year.

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https://spacenews.com/boeings-starliner-launch-abort-engine-suffers-problem-during-testing/

Boeing's Starliner launch abort engine suffers problem during testing
by Jeff Foust — July 22, 2018


A launch abort engine, developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, fires during a 2016 test. A static-fire test of the complete launch abort system suffered a propellant leak at the end of the test. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

WASHINGTON — Boeing confirmed July 21 that there was an "anomaly" during a recent test of the launch abort engines for its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle that could delay a key milestone needed for the vehicle to be able carry astronauts.

The incident happened during a hot-fire test of the engines used by Starliner's abort system, integrated into a spacecraft service module. The static test, which took place in June at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, was a prelude to a pad abort test of the system planned for later this summer.

"The engines successfully ignited and ran for the full duration," the company said in a statement. "During engine shutdown an anomaly occurred that resulted in a propellant leak."

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Starliner uses a "pusher" escape system, with four launch abort engines mounted on the service module that can propel the spacecraft away from its Atlas 5 launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the pad or during ascent. The engines, which use hypergolic propellants and generate 40,000 pounds-force of thrust each, are provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Boeing didn't elaborate on the nature of the problem, but other sources, including social media postings several days before the official statement, claimed that a hydrazine valve in the propulsion system failed to close properly at the end of the test, causing the propellant to leak. Boeing didn't issue the statement until after the first published report about the anomaly by Ars Technica.

Aerojet, in an October 2016 release about an earlier set of hot-fire tests of the thruster, touted the use of "innovative" valves in the launch abort engines. Those valves, said company president and chief executive Eileen Drake, "demonstrate precise timing, peak thrust control and steady-state thrust necessary during a mission abort."

"We have been conducting a thorough investigation with assistance from our NASA and industry partners," Boeing added in the statement. "We are confident we found the cause and are moving forward with corrective action."

It's unclear what effect this testing problem will have on the development schedule for Starliner, including the uncrewed and crewed orbital test flights of the spacecraft. Boeing said in its statement that it did not have any schedule updates for the test program, including for the pad abort test.

Updates on commercial crew test schedules for both Boeing and SpaceX are expected to be released as soon as next week. An Aug. 3 announcement, possibly featuring Vice President Mike Pence, had been planned for the Kennedy Space Center, timed to a previously scheduled Aug. 4 launch of NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft. That announcement may go ahead even though the launch has been rescheduled for Aug. 6.

Even before this latest incident, the launch dates for both companies' uncrewed and crewed tests were widely expected to slip, perhaps well into 2019. A July 11 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office cited internal NASA estimates that concluded that the companies would not likely win certification for transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station until at least late 2019 or early 2020, and possibly not until late 2020.

The Aug. 3 announcement may include the assignment of NASA astronauts to the two companies' crewed test flights. Four NASA astronauts have been preparing for those flights since 2015, but for now have been training on both Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

In an interview last September, Chris Ferguson, a former NASA astronaut who is now director of Starliner crew and mission systems at Boeing, said he expected those assignments to be made for the crewed Starliner test flight about a year before the actual flight.

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https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/rs-25-engine-installed-on-stennis-space-center-stand-for-new-test-series

July 24, 2018

RS-25 Engine Installed On Stennis Space Center Stand For New Test Series



Aerojet Rocketdyne developmental RS-25 engine No. 0525 is readied for installation on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on July 23 in preparation for another new hotfire series to support NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Program. Stennis is testing all RS-25 engines that will help power the SLS rocket, which is being built for missions beyond low-Earth orbit, carrying crew and cargo to the Moon and beyond. Four RS-25 engines, working in conjunction with a pair of solid rocket boosters, will power the SLS rocket at launch. The initial RS-25 engines are former space shuttle main engines, modified to provide the additional thrust needed for the larger, heavier SLS rocket.

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Originally designed more than 40 years ago to provide a specific power level categorized as 100 percent thrust, the RS-25 version of the space shuttle main engine has been upgraded to operate at 111 percent of its original power. NASA has been testing RS-25 modifications and flight engines at Stennis since January 2015 in preparation for the Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) and Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) flights of SLS. EM-1 will test the capabilities of the new rocket and will carry an uncrewed Orion spacecraft into space beyond the moon. EM-2 will be the first flight to carry humans aboard the Orion spacecraft, returning astronauts to deep space for the first time in more than 40 years.

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The next series of tests at Stennis is scheduled to begin mid-August. For the test, a new flight controller component will be installed on the RS-25 developmental engine and fired just as during an actual launch. The new flight controller is a major part of the RS-25 modifications, operating as the "brain" of the engine to help it communicate with the SLS rocket and to provide precision control of engine operation and internal health diagnostics. A total of 10 hot fires are scheduled for the test series, seven by the end of 2018 and three in the early part of 2019. Each will feature a flight controller that will be used on an actual SLS mission.

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Each RS-25 test moves the agency closer and closer to its return to deep space exploration, to such destinations as the Moon and Mars. In addition to testing RS-25 engines and components for SLS flights, Stennis is preparing to test the actual core stage that will be used on the EM-1 mission. NASA has been modifying the B-2 Test Stand at Stennis for the core stage testing. The testing will involve installing the flight stage on the B-2 Test Stand and firing all four of its RS-25 engines simultaneously, as during a launch.

RS-25 tests at Stennis are conducted by a team of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Syncom Space Services engineers and operators. Aerojet Rocketdyne is the RS-25 prime contractor. Syncom Space Services is the prime contractor for Stennis facilities and operations.

Image Credit: NASA

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Last Updated: July 27, 2018
Editor: LaToya Dean

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 53 мин. назад

FEATURE ARTICLE: Aerojet Rocketdyne progressing towards six-engine RS-25 production run -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/07/aerojet-rocketdyne-six-engine-rs-25-run/ ...

- By Philip Sloss

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Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 1 мин. назад

Shuttle-era RS-25 liquid rocket engine resumes production restart development testing. Test T0 (ignition) is 15:20 EDT (1920 UTC) today - subject to change per test condition. NASA Administration @JimBridenstine is expected to be in attendance.

ARTICLE:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/08/rs-25-resumes-production-restart-development-testing/ ...

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 11 мин. назад

STATIC FIRE! RS-25 E5025 has ignited on the A-1 test stand at the Stennis Space Center.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 19 мин. назад

Do you have an icing problem on your powerhead? Try Ignition!