NASA Continues RS-25 Engine Certification Test Fire Series

NASA conducted the second hot fire Nov. 15 in a final 12-test certification series designed to pave the way for production of new RS-25 engines to help power NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon. Test engineers conducted a full-duration test of more than eight minutes (500 seconds) on an RS-25 certification engine manufactured with new processes and advanced techniques, such as 3D printing, by SLS engines lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. The 500-second test duration is the same amount of time needed to help launch SLS rockets to orbit. The hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was the second test in a series that began Oct. 17. NASA completed an initial RS-25 certification series in June. With completion of the current series, Aerojet Rocketdyne will begin full production of engines for use on missions beginning with Artemis V. Four RS-25 engines fire simultaneously to help launch each SLS rocket, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust.