RS-25 Tested at Stennis
NASA Tests RS-25 Engine
“The new year is off to a hot start for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). The engine that will drive America’s next great rocket to deep space blazed through its first successful test Jan. 9 at the agency’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. This is the first of eight tests for the development engine, which will provide NASA engineers with critical data on the engine controller unit and inlet pressure conditions. Four RS-25 engines will power SLS on future missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars.”
I can find no mention of a contractor (Aerojet Rockedyne perhaps?) in the announcement. Is the hands-on work being done by NASA?
No, no NASA hands on work. Rocketdyne (Aerojet) hired back some of the laid off SSME engineering staff on contract to work the test program.
Understandable. They have worked on these systems for many years. But from the press releases SLS/Orion/RS-25 is a “NASA” program. Contractors are not even mentioned. In fact the Orion test flight was billed as “NASA’s” first new spaceship, Dragon notwithstanding.
They mention the word “controller” so many times but don’t mention the new controller J2-X from which it’s derived. Can I assume they used it, and this wasn’t just a baseline test for the stand and the previous configuration?
Yes, the new engine controller was installed.
A development version of the new controller was installed on the development engine that was tested.
It’s my understanding that these engines are essentially left-over SSMEs, with a new designation and some changes. Are there good references that discuss (1) how many of these engines exist? (2) what the detailed differences are from the SSMEs as they were to have been used for the Shuttle? and (3) when a new production program will be initiated to manufacture RS-25s for future SLS flights?
Per Aeroject Rocketdyne web site, there are 16 flight engines stored at Stennis.
http://www.rocket.com/rs-25…