Matthew Nelson
NASA is scheduled to conduct a hot fire test for four engines built by Aerojet Rocketdyne for the Space Launch System Jan. 17 as part of a series of “Green Run†trials for the vehicle's core stage.
The agency will hot fire the RS-25 engines simultaneously for 493 seconds to resemble their thrust profile during flight missions, the company said Tuesday.
"Our RS-25 team has been working hand-in-hand with NASA and core stage manufacturer Boeing to ensure SLS is ready for liftoff," said Eileen Drake, president and CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne.
According to Aerojet Rocketdyne, the four propulsion systems were initially used for the Space Shuttle and are now fitted with modern avionics as the engines will be reused for the first four SLS missions.
The company added that future SLS launches will employ newly built RS-25 engines with 3D-printed components.
The SLS Core Stage Green Run series began in January 2020 and has a total of eight tests aimed at ensuring Artemis I core stage's safety and flight hardware's alignment with design objectives.
NASA has completed the first six tests and is now preparing to load and drain 700K gallons of cryogenic propellants and to fire the RS-25 engines.
