NASA Test-Fires Engine for Most Powerful Rocket Ever

space.com ^ | August 19, 2016 05:20pm ET | Sarah Lewin,

[BenLurkin]

RS-25 engines were used as the main engines for space shuttle flights, but they will need to fire at higher performance levels for use with the SLS, NASA officials said in a statement. This test collected data on how the engine works at that level, and also tested an engine controller unit that will allow it to communicate with the rest of the SLS setup.

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This was the third test in a six-test series; NASA will keep gathering data on the engine's performance in more tests this fall. NASA will also install four engines on the SLS core stage and blast all four at once.

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"SLS is going to be the most powerful rocket ever built when it's done several years from now," he said. "It's going to have to throw up all this hardware into low Earth orbit so we can then take it to the moon and beyond, all the way to Mars."

Mastracchio discussed how SLS' powerful engines and the Orion spacecraft would open up more of the solar system to astronauts and how it would change the way spaceflight works.

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"We're going to have to change the way we do business," Mastracchio said. "When we go beyond low Earth orbit, it's going to be days, weeks, months and even years before we get home. The crew's going to have to be much more independent. We're going to have to have things like additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. We're going to have a lot smarter vehicles, and we'll have a lot smarter crewmembers, too."

[Dagnabitt]

They’re taking old reusable (mostly) Space Shuttle engines and making them into single use throwaway engines.

SLS will be an impressive vehicle, but it’s crawling along due to budget and will probably only fly once every couple years. And it has no real mission besides some vague eventual Mars idea.

[Izzy Dunne]

only a matter of time before we experience an extension level event

You mean we're all going to get taller ?

;-)

[kosciusko51]

The first one will have 10% more thrust than a Saturn V, and the heavy lift will have 20% more than the Saturn V.

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/588413main_SLS_Fun_Facts.pdf

[rottndog]

I’m saying that we will get there much faster by using our resources more effectively now. We are nowhere near being able to ‘spread across the solar system & beyond’, and won’t be in the foreseeable future. We can advance faster through unmanned exploration because it is far cheaper...we can do much more of it...

[ken in texas]

... because of the danger of changing the weight mass of the planet and cause a shift in the natural orbit.

Just get everyone on the other side of the world to jump at the same time as the liftoff. That will keep the earth in balance. </s

[rawcatslyentist]

Exactly, overcoming the initial zero inertia is the biggest expenditure of energy. Doing so without having to carry the fuel and containers would vastly increase their weight limit.

[BMATR003]

The SLS first stage is being built at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. This is the same facility that built the Saturn V first stage and also the Space Shuttle External Tanks. The Orion space capsule hulls are also fabricated at this facility then shipped to KSC for installation of all flight systems.The main building at Michoud was built for WWII aircraft production and also built engines for Patton tanks for the Korean war. It is over 40 acres under one roof and was constructed by the man who designed and built the WWII landing crafts; Andrew Higgins! The taxpayer got their money’s worth with this facility!!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Interesting post, welcome to FR!