NASA has completed the installation of the first RS-25 engine, the first of 24 new flight engines intended for future Artemis program lunar missions starting with Artemis V.
The agency said Thursday the engine was installed on the Fred Haise Test Stand on Feb. 18 to prepare it for next month’s acceptance testing. The RS-25 engine was built by L3Harris, the primary contractor for NASA’s Space Launch Systems, or SLS, engines.
Hot Fire Test
The RS-25 engine will be evaluated by the NASA Stennis Space Center test team, which includes operators from NASA, L3Harris and Syncom Space Services, to see if it is ready for future lunar missions. The hot fire test involves exposing the engine to a full-duration, 500-second hot fire. The test mimics the actual launch where the engines fire for around 500 seconds and reach up to 111 percent power level when launching SLS into orbit with the Orion spacecraft onboard. Four RS-25 engines, with a combined thrust power of two million pounds, will be used to launch the SLS.
The engine has undergone two certification tests confirming the new engine production process and components passed all performance standards. An acceptance test will follow to assess its performance and ensure it meets safety requirements.
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