Nichols Martin
NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne have completed the final hot-fire test of an engine technology the company developed for use on the Space Launch System rocket.
The eighth RS-25 engine test this year occurred at NASA’s Stennis Space in Mississippi and evaluated the performance of an engine component produced using a three-dimensional printing method, the space agency said Wednesday.
The 3D-printed pogo accumulator assembly is designed to function as a shock absorber and reduce vibrations triggered by propellants.
During 2017, NASA tested multiple RS-25 engines along with flight controllers built to help power SLS rocket for the agency’s manned space missions to deep-space destinations.
The tests were part of a collaborative initiative between NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne to reduce the overall cost of rocket engine production through the use of modern manufacturing techniques.
