An emergency piece of NASA’s giant moon rocket is in good shape even after a test shot down on Saturday abruptly cut after just over a minute, space agency officials said Tuesday.
Officials said it was too early to say whether the test – simulating the firing of the four engines for eight minutes during ascent to orbit – would have to be repeated. If engineers prove that they have learned enough and can skip a second test, NASA would proceed to deliver the upgrade level of the system called the Space Launch System to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“It is too early right now to say which way to go,” John Shannon, Boeing’s rocket program manager, said at a news conference on Tuesday. Boeing picked up the boost, often referred to as prime rate.
The launch of an unmanned test is scheduled for November, and Kathy Lueders, the associate administrator for human and work exploration at NASA, has not ruled out the launch of the rocket. still in 2021. The program is years on schedule and has cost billions of dollars to get this far. Each rocket cost $ 2 billion to launch and can only be used once.
Read | NASA testing of mega Moon rocket engines cut short
The early shutdown of the engines was caused by low irrigation pressure in a component called the auxiliary power unit. Since the rate of increase in the test is the only one that would be launched into space, engineers were especially careful to ensure that it was not damaged during the test. If the same thing had happened during a flight, the engines would not have shut down.
“We would have continued to fly after meeting the situation we saw on the test,” said John Honeycutt, program manager for NASA’s rocket program.
Another problem that occurred during the test – which was described as a “major component failure” of one of the engines – turned out to be an issue with a sensor that did not play a role in shutting down the engine. test. Subsequent studies showed that all four engines were in good shape.
However, NASA and Boeing engineers are now opposed to two less perfect options. They could repeat the test – perhaps a shorter one – to collect the remaining data. But there is always a risk that something will go wrong in a test. Or the engineers might decide they have enough information and move it to Florida.
“This is our main stage of flight,” Lueders said. “So you need to understand the dangers of revealing the heart rate of the flight to another round of testing.”
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For NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, Tuesday was his last full day at work. He will retire Wednesday when President Joe Biden is inaugurated.
Contrary to the turmoil in the last days of many parts of President Donald Trump’s administration, Bridenstine stressed the importance of continuity and said NASA had the support of both Republicans and Democrats.
“He should never be partisan,” Bridenstine said. “It should be united. It should bring people together for science and discovery and study. “
Trump did not always agree, at times making erroneous scratches at the Obama administration’s space policy as his administration set a goal of astronauts returning to the moon by 2024. But that looked like -out of reach even before Trump lost re-election, as Congress did not provide as much funding as requested for the development of the landowners to bring astronauts to the surface of the moon.
Bridenstine said NASA was finding out if Trump’s administration plans needed to change.
“I have no doubt that the amazing people at NASA are going to present a range of options for our return to the moon that the next administration can buy into and support,” he said.
Biden has not yet announced who he will nominate to be NASA’s next administrator, but Bridenstine has vowed support.
“I look forward with great interest and will certainly make you happy all the way,” he said.