NASA hot fire test for core stage of Artemis rocket
NASA’s plans to return humans to the moon in 2024 have taken a step forward following a hot fire test of the core stage for the Space Launch System rocket.
The SLS will launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon and the hot fire is the final test of the so-called Green Run series which began in January 2020.
Video of the week: SLS undergoes successful static fire test
According to NASA, the test plan called for the rocket’s four RS-25 engines to fire for just over eight minutes, which is the amount of time needed to send the rocket to space following launch. The countdown and ignition were successfully executed but the engines shut down a little more than one minute into the hot fire and teams are assessing the data to determine what caused this.
For the test, the 212-foot core stage generated 1.6 million pounds of thrust, while secured in the B-2 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The hot fire test included loading 733,000 pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen and igniting the engines.
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