NASA completes hot fire of RS-25 certification engine

On Tuesday, October 17, NASA conducted the first hot fire of a new RS-25 engine test series, beginning a critical test series to support the agency's future missions to deep space. The engines will power the agency's upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.

The hot fire marked the first in a series of 12 tests scheduled to stretch into 2024. The tests are a key step for lead Space Launch System (SLS) - the agency's most powerful rocket ever - engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, to produce engines that will help power the SLS, beginning with Artemis V. The contractor is using advanced manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, to cut down on the time and cost needed to build the new engines.

It's always hot at @NASAStennis! 🔥Yesterday, Oct. 17, @NASA conducted the first hot fire of a new RS-25 test series. This initiated the final round of certification testing for the production of updated engines for future @NASA_SLS flights.MORE >> https://t.co/hbLyK91HXR pic.twitter.com/LSKuTp2s5z

— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) October 18, 2023

SLS is a super heavy-lift launch vehicle that can send NASA's Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and cargo directly to the Moon on a single mission. It can carry more payload to deep space than any other vehicle, thanks to its unprecedented power and capabilities. Four RS-25 engines will power SLS at launch, including on its Artemis missions to the Moon.

The test series will collect data on the performance of several new key engine components, including a nozzle, hydraulic actuators, flex ducts, and turbopumps. The components match the design features of those used during the initial certification test series completed at the South Mississippi site in June 2023. 

NASA plans to return humans, including the first woman and the first person of color, to the Moon via a series of Artemis missions in order to explore the lunar surface and prepare for flights to Mars.