STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Ms., January 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Four Rocketdyne RS-25 Aerojet engines are targeted for hot fire in a union for the first time on January 17 as part of NASA space launch system (SLS) Green Run test series. These engines power an SLS rocket as the U.S. prepares to return humans to the Moon to stay and then on to Mars.
The upcoming 493-second hot fire test will mirror the thrush image of the flying engines and is the highlight of the SLS Core Stage Green Run test series that has been underway since January 2020.
“The Green Stage Green Run features a number of events for the first time for the world’s largest rocket platform, including the first firing of the four RS-25 engines together, ”said Eileen P. Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. “Our RS-25 team has been working hand in hand with NASA and platform maker Boeing to ensure SLS is ready for construction.”
The four RS-25 engines that are part of the Core Stage Green Run were first flown on the Space Shuttle and are being reused for SLS. These special engines have already been part of history: flying the Space Shuttle to a dock with Russia’s Mir Space Station, returning U.S. Senator and former Mercury astronaut John Glenn to space; construction of the International Space Station; and transporting astronauts to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Now these engines are ready to make history again by helping humans return to the Moon.
Once the hot fire is ready, the main SLS stage will be inspected, redesigned and prepared for flight at NASA’s Stennis Space Center before being delivered to NASA’s Canadian Space Center (KSC). Once at KSC, the platform will be integrated with the hard rocket boosters and the Orion spacecraft in preparation for the release of Artemis I, which is scheduled for 2021.
The first four SLS missions will use RS-25 engines originally built for the Space Shuttle and updated by today’s avionics. Subsequent SLS missions use rebuilt RS-25 engines with manufactured components and other features designed to reduce costs.
About Rocketdyne Aerojet: Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. . of domestic and international customers. For more information, visit www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com. Follow Aerojet Rocketdyne and CEO Eileen Drake on Twitter at @AerojetRdyne and @DrakeEileen.
Contact the media:
Mary Engola, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 571-289-1371
Mà[email protected]
Todd McConnell, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 561-882-5395
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