Related Articles
NASA will conduct a second crucial engine take a look at for its first Space Launch System megarocket in February after the primary try ended sooner than deliberate this month.
“NASA plans to conduct a second inexperienced run sizzling fireplace take a look at as early because the fourth week in February with the Area Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage that may launch the Artemis 1 mission to the moon,” NASA officials said in a statement Friday (Jan. 29).
Artemis 1 is the primary uncrewed take a look at flight of the SLS rocket for NASA’s Artemis program, which goals to return astronauts to the moon by 2024. The mission was slated to launch to the moon later this 12 months. However that schedule hinges on the SLS rocket passing its “inexperienced run” checks, a collection of trials to show the booster is able to fly. On on Jan. 16, when NASA ignited the SLS core stage’s 4 essential RS-25 engines collectively for the primary time, they shut down much earlier than planned.
That take a look at, which was imagined to run for 485 seconds, or simply over eight minutes, stopped simply 67 seconds after the engines have been lit. Due to this surprising early ending, NASA and core stage lead contractor Boeing determined to conduct a second sizzling fireplace take a look at, NASA officers stated.
Video: How NASA’s SLS megarocket engine test works
This second sizzling fireplace will present extra knowledge to assist to certify the rocket’s core stage for flight and may pose minimal threat to the core stage, in line with the identical assertion.
Following the primary sizzling fireplace take a look at, the core stage , together with the RS-25 engines and the B-2 take a look at stand stay in “wonderful situation,” in line with the identical assertion, “and no main repairs are wanted to arrange for a second sizzling fireplace take a look at at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.”
Nonetheless, to arrange for the take a look at, the staff, whereas persevering with to research knowledge from the primary sizzling fireplace, is drying and refurbishing the SLS engines, making minor repairs to the system’s thermal safety system and updating conservative management logic parameters which have been answerable for the primary take a look at ending early, in line with NASA.
A second sizzling fireplace take a look at lasting not less than 4 minutes (roughly) would supply sufficient knowledge to assist present that the core stage is flight-ready, in line with the assertion. This second sizzling fireplace would moreover permit the mission staff to gather knowledge about how the rocket’s core stage performs over an extended interval.
Following this take a look at, the staff will take a few month to refurbish the rocket’s core stage and engines earlier than the core stage is dropped at NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart in Florida, the place it is going to be pieced along with different elements of the SLS megarocket.
Along with the Artemis 1 SLS rocket checks, NASA has resumed testing particular person RS-35 engines for future Artemis flights. On Thursday (Jan. 28), the area company successfully fired an RS-25 engine for its full eight-minute period as a part of these checks.
Electronic mail Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@area.com or comply with her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Fb.
Source link
