NASA’s RS-25 Rocket Engine Test

Engineers conduct the third in a series of RS-25 flight controller tests on July 25, 2017, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The more than 8 1/2 minute test on the A-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi signaled another step toward launch of NASA’s new
Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS rocket, powered by four RS-25 engines, along with the Orion spacecraft will take astronauts on a new era of exploration beyond Earth’s orbit into deep space.

I had no clue we were building an orion spacecraft to go beyond earth orbit. Orion is used a lot in sci-fi so it is appropriate. Anyway an amazing test.


www.liveleak.com...

And just because i love watching these tests. Here is a test done with a special High Dynamic Range camera.

a reply to: Crumbles


I was at the cape in March and they were working on the new rocket.
It's about time we put our own butts in space again instead of hitching a ride.

a reply to: Crumbles

I'm going to have to read up on Orion.

Thanks for this.

I had feared that NASA was gearing down to close after the Shuttle got canned.

originally posted by: Crumbles
Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS rocket, powered by four RS-25 engines, along with the Orion spacecraft will take astronauts on a new era of exploration beyond Earth’s orbit into deep space.

I had no clue we were building an orion spacecraft to go beyond earth orbit. Orion is used a lot in sci-fi so it is appropriate. Anyway an amazing test.

It's a great test, but project Orion was the name of a planned spacecraft that would use nuclear bombs for propulsion so I'm not sure Orion was the best name to use for the new spacecraft. I would have picked a different name.

Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)

Obviously it died when the nuclear test ban treaty was signed, but it was the best hope we had for interstellar travel.

a reply to: Arbitrageur

they are rumors a version of this flew. if it was a international effort it would be easier to hide.


im not saying i necessarily believe the rumors but i know the US and some others are much further along in spaCE then most can accept

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: Crumbles

I'm going to have to read up on Orion.

Thanks for this.

I had feared that NASA was gearing down to close after the Shuttle got canned.

NASA has been actively involved in early designs for a manned Mars mission, and the SLS launch vehicles along with the Orion crew capsule have always been parts of that plan. The plan is to use the Orion crew vehicle as part of a larger cruise-to-Mars craft.

There is also a "Heavy Lift" version of the SLS under development by NASA that would be that largest launch vehicle ever, and be capable of launching the very heavy loads needed for a manned mission to Mars.

NASA - Journey to Mars

Wikipedia - Space Launch System (SLS)

originally posted by: penroc3
a reply to: Arbitrageur

they are rumors a version of this flew. if it was a international effort it would be easier to hide.

In a sense that's true. What flew was a small proof of concept prototype using conventional explosives instead of nukes, but it was enough to show the project orion idea could work. You can see it at 41:50 in the following video. Because it was such a unique technology the test was impressive even though the model was small, but I have to say the test video in the OP of this thread is more impressive. I wonder how many tons of fuel it burned. It must have been a lot.

im not saying i necessarily believe the rumors but i know the US and some others are much further along in spaCE then most can accept

Earth orbit is barely space and that's where all the secret space activity takes place, and it's only secret to a certain extent. There are NOTAMs for launches of even classified missions so we know about the launch even if we don't know the purpose of the secret mission but there are usually some good guesses. I think all the missions that make it past Earth orbit are public. I would doubt claims to the contrary.

a reply to: Crumbles

Your video says something about a camera. And it is horizontal. Hum? Is the vid from the test two days ago?

Here is what NASA released.
NASA's RS-25 Rocket Engine Fires Up Again - NASA


The test shows an engine firing during the day and vertical. It is 8 minutes long. I've watched two. All I can say is, "Wow! And what bolts do they use to anchor that sucker down?!!"

Either way that is one bad mutha... [shut your mouth!]... just talking about shaft!

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

You are correct.

The rocket tested in the OP's video is NOT the RS-25 engine.

Your video (with the test in the vertical configuration) does show the test of the RS-25 that was just conducted on July 25. The OP's video of the solid booster test was from June 2016.

The RS-25 are liquid-fueled engines, and will be the main engines used for the SLS family of launch vehicles. They were the same engines used for the space shuttle main engines. The solid rocket boosters are (as the name describes) solid-fueled and will be the boosters strapped to each side of the launch vehicle. The space shuttle used solid boosters also, but these are a new design.

RS-25 Engine (Wikipedia Article about Shuttle Main Engine)

Orbital ATK Solid Booster

[This is an artist's impression of the SLS, with labels added by me]

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

Thanks for the clarification!

I thought OP's vid looked familiar (perhaps I've seen it before??). I checked the news and saw the vertical mounted test and was confused.

Same craft, different engines, and two different tests. Gotcha!

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People
a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

You are correct.

The rocket tested in the OP's video is NOT the RS-25 engine.

Your video (with the test in the vertical configuration) does show the test of the RS-25 that was just conducted on July 25. The OP's video of the solid booster test was from June 2016.

It took me a while to figure out what you were saying. The video the OP linked to at liveleak is the same test as the one TEOTWAWKIAIFF embedded, so it is the RS-25. I thought you were saying that one was not the RS-25 at first, but it IS the RS-25.

It's the OP's embedded video after that linked video which is the solid rocket booster, not the RS-25.

a reply to: Arbitrageur

Ah...Yes.

Thanks for helping to clarify my post.

TEOTWAWKIAIFF mentioned some confusion over the "horizontal" tests versus "vertical" tests. My post was meant to explain to him what the horizontal test video embedded by the OP was showing compared to the vertical test he embedded.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

You have to click the link. The second video was an extra tidbit.

a reply to: Crumbles

Does not give the impression to be an efficient engine. Probably much work to do..

originally posted by: zatara
a reply to: Crumbles

Does not give the impression to be an efficient engine. Probably much work to do..

The RS-25 is an engine that has successfully been used for spaceflight many times in the past. The engines were used for the Space Shuttles three main engines. Developed by Aerojet-Rocketdyne Corportaion, they are the most powerful engines to fly -- twice as powerful as the Saturn V's "J-2" engines used during the Apollo missions to the Moon (Aerojet-Rocketdyne -- or just "Rocketdyne" back then -- also developed the J-2 engine for the Apollo program).

One major difference between the RS-25 design used for the shuttles and this new RS-25 design that will be uses for the SLS family of launch vehicles is "expendibility". The RS-25s made for the space Shuttle were designed to be reusable (after a refurbishment required after each flight). However, SLS will not be reusable, and thus and expendable version of the RS-25 could be made, and be less expensive.

NASA plans to first use the surplus RS-25s that still remain from the Shuttle Program on their new SLS rockets, but eventually would use an expendable version off the RS-25 when that surplus runs out.

Aerojet-Rocketdyne Website -- RS-25 Engine

RS-25 -- Wikipedia