SLS - space launch system (3-я попытка)

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http://www.rocket.com/article/rs-25-engines-ready-maiden-flight-nasas-space-launch-system

RS-25 Engines Ready for Maiden Flight of NASA's Space Launch System

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss., Oct. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), announces the four RS-25 engines slated to fly on Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), the maiden flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), are ready for integration with the rocket's core stage.

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EM-1 is a three-week mission in which the SLS rocket will launch the Orion spacecraft into a distant retrograde orbit around the moon farther than a human-rated vehicle has traveled before, and also will deliver 13 small satellites to deep space.

"The Space Launch System epitomizes our nation's legacy of ingenuity and our spirit of exploration," said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO & President Eileen Drake. "When it launches, SLS will eclipse the performance of any rocket flying today or currently under development."

All four of the RS-25 engines that will fly during EM-1 also flew during the Space Shuttle Program; however, they have been outfitted with new controllers and adapted for SLS. Each engine provides half a million pounds of thrust, totaling more than 2 million pounds of thrust, for the first stage of the SLS rocket. An infographic about the first four engines and their flight history can be found here.

"These four EM-1 engines have a rich and storied history," said Dan Adamski, RS-25 program director at Aerojet Rocketdyne. "Together, they've powered 21 shuttle flights with the most experienced engine, E2045, having flown on 12 separate flights."

Aerojet Rocketdyne will store the four engines for EM-1 at its facility located at NASA's Stennis Space Center until they are ready for integration with the core stage, which is currently in development at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

In addition to the core stage propulsion for the debut SLS flight, Aerojet Rocketdyne is also providing an RL10B-2 engine for the rocket's upper stage, which is called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). The RL10B-2 produces 24,750 pounds of thrust and is the main propulsion once the rocket has reached outer space; it gives the Orion spacecraft the final boost to complete its mission around the Moon. Earlier this year, NASA delivered the completed ICPS to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, in preparation for integration with the rocket.

"The propulsion for SLS is just one example of how all the pieces for Exploration Mission-1 are starting to come together. It is remarkable that our nation will soon debut this new capability that will enable humans to explore deep space," added Drake.

Aerojet Rocketdyne 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 displays the four RS-25 engines slated to fly on EM-1, the maiden flight of NASA's SLS rocket, at its facility located at NASA's Stennis Space Center

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https://www.nasa.gov/feature/first-four-space-launch-system-flight-engines-ready-to-rumble

Oct. 11, 2017

First Four Space Launch System Flight Engines Ready To Rumble

The flight preparations for the four engines that will power NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) on its first integrated flight with Orion are complete and the engines are assembled and ready to be joined to the deep space rocket's core stage. All five structures that form the massive core stage for the rocket have been built including the engine section where the RS-25 engines will be attached.

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"NASA's priority is to deliver hardware for the first flight of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft," said John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "This year, the SLS team has constructed major parts of the rocket, such as the in-space stage, which is already at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the four RS-25 engines, core stage structures, and solid rocket booster segments."

Start Your Engines

The SLS has the largest core stage ever built and includes four RS-25 engines, which previously powered NASA's space shuttle. The RS-25 engines that are being tested and prepared for SLS were proven during the years they were responsible for propelling 135 shuttle missions, and have been upgraded for the first SLS flight. The four that will fly on Exploration Mission-1 supported a total of 21 shuttle missions.


All four RS-25 engines that will power SLS for its first flight are ready to be integrated with the rocket's core stage. They will be sent to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans where they will be attached to the core stage before a green run test that will verify that the system is ready for flight. These four EM-1 engines powered a total of 21 space shuttle missions. For SLS, they have been upgraded with new controllers, to perform under SLS environments and with nozzle insulation, for protection and prevention of metal overheating during launch and flight. To ensure all engines are ready to fly, engineers will perform torque testing, leak checks, and an avionics software check.
Credits: Aerojet Rocketdyne photo

In total, NASA has 16 flight-proven RS-25 engines and two development engines that are being used as "workhorse" engines for testing. These engines have been used to test new controllers – the brains of the engine – which have now been installed on the flight engines. The flight engines will be attached to the core stage to prepare for green run testing – the final test for the four flight engines and the core stage that will occur before the first mission.

"NASA has transformed these phenomenal engines that served so well in the past for a new bold mission -- the first integrated launch of SLS and Orion," said Steve Wofford, the SLS liquid engines manager at Marshall. "For engines needed beyond the first four flights, we are working with our industry partner Aerojet Rockedyne to streamline manufacturing and make future engines more affordable."
In addition, NASA is investing in new RS-25 engines for future launches built with modern manufacturing techniques. Aerojet Rocketdyne has restarted RS-25 production and the agency has ordered six new RS-25 engines built to be expendable and more affordable to produce for future deep space exploration missions.

Core Stage: The Center of Attention

The welding completion on the liquid hydrogen tank for SLS marked the last of five parts to be built for the rocket's core stage. When it is assembled, the core stage will stand taller than a 20-story building and hold more than 700,000 gallons of propellant. The core stage is made up of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks; the engine section where the RS-25 engines will be housed; and the intertank and the forward skirt.


The core stage pathfinder, a full-scale, steel mockup of the SLS core stage, is at Michoud and ready for technicians to start practicing the precise procedures that will be needed to transport and handle the largest rocket stage ever built. The pathfinder recently traveled via barge fr om G&G Steel in Cordova, Alabama, wh ere it was manufactured, to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It will later travel to Stennis to be lifted into the B-2 test stand for practice operations.
Credits: NASA MSFC Michoud image: Jude Guidry

"To make these massive propellant tanks, NASA and our industry partner Boeing have used the largest robotic rocket welding tool to build the thickest pieces ever welded with self-reacting friction stir welding," said Steve Doering, SLS stages manager at Marshall. "Now, we are moving from manufacturing major structures for the core stage to outfitting them to do their jobs and make the rocket fly."

The liquid oxygen flight tank recently completed the first hydrostatic test for an SLS tank. The weld strength was tested by filling the tank with 200,000 gallons of water and subjecting it to pressures and forces similar to those it will experience during flight. The liquid hydrogen tank will soon undergo proof testing using gaseous nitrogen. The core stage pathfinder recently arrived at Michoud, and it will be used to help develop and verify handling and transportation procedures before these processes are used on the valuable flight hardware.

"This rocket is happening now," said Honeycutt. "The Space Launch System team has made great progress and has an exciting year ahead as NASA conducts crucial structural tests at Marshall, assembles the core stage and the four RS-25 engines at Michoud and delivers more hardware to the launch pad at Kennedy."

Jennifer Stanfield
 Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
 256-544-0034
Jennifer.Stanfield@nasa.gov

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Last Updated: Oct. 12, 2017
Editor: Jennifer Harbaugh

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Объявление

Stennis Space Center‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAStennis 2 ч. назад

Tune in tomorrow for a Facebook Live event of an RS-25 Engine Test @NASAStennis! Test is targeted for 3 p.m. (central).

23:00 ДМВ

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 5 ч. назад

FEATURE ARTICLE: Stennis preparing to fire up an untested RS-25 engine - https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/10/stennis-fire-up-untested-rs-25-engine/ ... - by Philip Sloss.

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Stennis preparing to fire up an untested RS-25 engine

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NASA‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA 5 мин. назад

We're getting ready to test fire 1 of the engines that'll propel @NASA_SLS rocket to deep space. Watch at 3:45pm ET: http://www.nasa.gov/live

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 12 мин. назад

FIRING!!

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12 мин. назад

Great views! E2063 has come to live for the first time.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 7 мин. назад

SHUTDOWN! Appeared to be a good full duration 109 percent test. Brilliant views for this test. Thoroughly enjoyed that!

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Запись испытания RS-25 E2063 на

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NASA Tests RS-25 Flight Engine for Space Launch System

NASA

Опубликовано: 19 окт. 2017 г.

Engineers at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi on Oct. 19 completed a hot-fire test of RS-25 rocket engine E2063, a flight engine for NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Engine E2063 is scheduled to help power SLS on its Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2), the first flight of the new rocket to carry humans.

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https://www.nasa.gov/news/2017/nasa-showcases-flight-engine-test-during-stennis-open-house

Oct. 20, 2017
RELEASE S17-072

NASA Showcases Flight Engine Test During Stennis Open House

Most people never view a rocket launch in person, but more than 1,500 people watched the next closest thing at a NASA facility Oct. 19 – a verification test of a rocket engine that will power a crewed mission to space.

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As visitors at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi learned during the recent Stennis Founders Day Open House event, there were a number of unique factors about this particular test:

Actual Flight Engine
NASA conducts a lot of rocket engine tests at Stennis, many on developmental engines in order to collect performance data or to verify the readiness of a particular engine component. This particular test was conducted on RS-25 engine E2063, a complete flight engine. Four RS-25 engines like this one are used to power each flight of the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Using data from the successful test, NASA engineers now proceed with flight certification for the engine for use on an actual flight of the new SLS rocket.

Mirrors Hot Fire Test
The test was conducted in the same manner and for the same length of time that will be needed during an actual launch. The idea is to replicate as close as possible how the engine will be used on a mission. Thus, the test countdown to ignition is largely the same as during a launch, the way the engine is fired and throttled is the same and the length of time it is fired is the same. The only difference between how the engine fires during a test and during a launch is that one remains anchored in place on a test stand while the other actually leaves the ground.

Test Runs Full Duration
Since an anchored engine does not leave the ground, open house participants experienced the full 500 seconds of the test. During a launch, the rocket rises rather quickly out of sight and hearing range. Participants also enjoyed more of an upfront view. A launch must be viewed from at least three miles away; a test is viewed from about half a mile. It is loud enough to wear ear plugs, close enough to feel the vibrations of its power. If the wind blows right, the pure water exhaust from the engine can even condense and rain down on the crowd.

Engine Will Help Make History


NASA engineers conduct a full-duration, 500-second test of RS-25 flight engine E2063 on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on Oct. 19, 2017. Once certified, the engine is scheduled to help power NASA's new Space Launch System rocket on its Exploration Mission-2. The test was part of Founders Day Open House activities at Stennis.
Credits: NASA/SSC

Engine E2063 is scheduled for use on NASA's second mission of SLS and Orion, known as Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2). The first integrated flight test of SLS and Orion, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), will be an uncrewed final test of the rocket and its systems. The EM-2 flight will be the first to carry astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, marking the return of humans to deep space for the first time in more than 40 years.

"For most people, the chance to view a flight engine test in person is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Stennis Director Rick Gilbrech said. "It's a firsthand look at the American space program. We love sharing that experience and story with others."

The Stennis open house event drew participants from across the Gulf Coast region for a chance to view site facilities, learn about NASA's deep-space plans, enjoy space-related exhibits and celebrate the 56-year history of Stennis.

NASA announced plans to build the rocket engine test site in south Mississippi Oct. 25, 1961. Construction involved as many as 6,000 people, representing the largest construction project in Mississippi and one of the largest in the U.S. at the time.

The first test at Stennis (then known as Mississippi Test Facility) was conducted on the A-2 Test Stand April 23, 1963. The site subsequently tested all of the Saturn V engines and stages that carried humans to the moon during the Apollo Program.

Stennis began testing for the Space Shuttle Program in 1975. During the next 34 years, it performed more than 2,300 space shuttle main engine tests, totaling more than 820,000 seconds of accumulated hot-fire time. The site tested the main engines that powered each one of 135 space shuttle missions.

The site now is assigned to test all RS-25 engines for the SLS Program. NASA also will test SLS stages at Stennis, including the core stage that will be used on the EM-1 flight.

"Stennis has been on the front lines of the space program for more than 50 years," Gilbrech said. "This site is a living history book, and the open house test was another page in its incredible story."

For more information about NASA's Space Launch System, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html

For more information about Stennis Space Center, visit:

www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/

Valerie Buckingham
 Stennis Space Center
 228-688-3898
valerie.d.buckingham@nasa.gov

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Last Updated: Oct. 20, 2017
Editor: LaToya Dean

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Rob Chambers‏ @MarsBaseCamper 21 окт.

Latest shot of @NASA_SLS mobile launch platform @NASAKennedy - Jacobs and @NASA_go4launch prepping for America's deep space w/ @NASA_Orion!

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Видео с ОСИ в Центре Стенниса

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=120&v=lFqfCDEp6iw

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Inside KSC! for Oct. 20, 2017

NASAKennedy

Опубликовано: 20 окт. 2017 г.

The Kennedy Space Center recently took further steps in NASA's efforts to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit as the core stage inter-tank umbilical, or CSITU, was lifted to the mobile launcher for a fit check. The mobile launcher's crew access arm also was transported from Precision Fabricating and Cleaning in Cocoa, Florida, to the center.

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