Rolls-Royce opens test centre

Rolls-Royce has opened its first jet engine testing facility outside the UK at NASA’s John C Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Initially, the new site will be used to test the company’s high-thrust Trent engines, the Trent 1000 and Trent 900 that are being developed for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380 respectively.

This new facility, one of only three such resources in the world, will also be used to test development and prototype jet engines for performance, noise, and validation of safety systems.

Rolls-Royce broke ground at Stennis in June 2006 and to date has spent nearly $42m on construction and upgrades.

‘This is an important site doing important work and we’re delighted to open this new facility here in Mississippi,’ said James M Guyette, president & CEO, Rolls-Royce North America.