NASA and Boeing engineers have added cryogenic engines to the central stage of the space launch system (SLS), reaching a major stage in the development of this advanced missile.
It’s seven down, one to go.
NASA is in the middle of its basic SLS Green Run stage, a series of tests to prepare the rocket for a long-awaited real launch. The latest test, conducted Sunday at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, was dubbed the “wet rehearsal,” in which engineers loaded more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants into rocket tanks. The propeller was then checked and drained, “restoring the scene to a safe state.” according to a NASA statement.
With the completion of this seventh Green Run test, NASA can now look at the eighth and final test, in which all four RS-25 engines will be launched for up to eight minutes. This test will set the stage for certification and the beginning of the Artemis era. NASA hopes to launch the unmanned SLS in November 2021.
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The 212-foot-tall SLS rocket, with its massive four-engine stage, is an integral part of the Artemis program. The current plan to send astronauts to the lunar surface in 2024 could be interrupted if the SLS program fails to deliver on time.
The propellant for SLS consists of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Together, this engine serves as fuel and as an oxidizing agent needed to make the fuel burn. The chemicals are cooled to very low temperatures to keep the engine in a compact liquid form. Six barges delivered the propellant needed for the test, a fact possible due to a network of waterways in the region. The supply was made as the base missile section of the SLS was stabilized by the test stand of the B-2 installation.
NASA and Boeing engineers carefully monitored all basic systems during the test. A preliminary look at the data suggests that “the stage went well during the process of refueling and refueling,” according to NASA.
But the test was not perfect. The plan was to simulate a real countdown with a thruster in the core, but the test ended abruptly when the clock reached T-33 seconds, for reasons not yet known. “The basic stage and test stand B-2 are in excellent condition and there does not appear to be a hardware problem,” NASA explained, adding that the team is evaluating the data to identify the exact cause of the early shutdown. “
However, apparently, this is not a problem, NASA will now continue with the eighth Green Run test, which should be much more interesting than loading the thrusters. Indeed, we are itching to see this monster throw everything away, even if it has to stay on the ground. At least for now.