The first mission of the Artemis program was launched by NASA on November 16th. A new record for distance traveled by a mission and the amount of time spent beyondLEO was established by this uncrewed mission. The core stage of the SLS was powered by the same engines that powered the Space Shuttle.
Replacing the Space Shuttle Era engines with the newly-designedRS-25E will be one of the ways NASA will upgrade the mission architecture. The engine was tested for the first time by NASA on December 14th at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
NASA successfully completed the Artemis I flight test a few days ago. The single engine firing was designed to confirm that theRS-25 is ready to proceed with certification tests, which are scheduled for early next year. NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne created 16 of the RD 25D variant for use on the Artemis I through Artemis IV missions. The Artemis V and VI missions will take place in the year of 2029 and in the year of 2028.
The European System Providing Refueling Infrastructure and Telecommunication (ESPRIT) and the Gateway Airlock modules are included in these missions. Johnny Heflin is the manager of the SLS Liquid Engines Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Test campaigns allow us to learn more about the rocket hardware. The first test of the new restart engine for the SLS rocket was successfully run by NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne. Preliminary data shows that the engine was functioning normally. The data analysis is underway.
The hot fire was supposed to run for 500 seconds but was stopped early by a non-flight system used to monitor the engine. The data is being analyzed by NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne to identify the reason for the early cutoff. NASA's flight schedule will not be affected since the test did not involve engines that will be used in the future.
The test gave vital data that will help in the production of new engines. NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne are moving forward with testing and development of new mission elements after the Artemis I flight test. New components will be tested in hot fire tests. A new powerhead component, a new nozzle and controller will be installed before the certification series.
This is the first time since March that the Fred Haise Test Stand has been used by NASA. The Stennis teams have completed critical maintenance projects to support the testing program, such asUpgrading the stand's high-pressure industrial water systems.
The project manager said that each test helps them gather valuable data and prepares them to fly safely.
Artemis II is the first crewed mission of the program. A crew of four will fly by the moon. Artemis III will see a crew of four fly to the moon and rendezvous with the ship. The first woman and person of color will land on the moon. They will be the first humans to walk on the moon in over 40 years.
During the Space Shuttle Era, expendable solid rocket boosters were used. The engines will fire at the same time to generate over one million lbs of thrust. The long-term goal of these missions is to create the infrastructure that will allow for a sustained program of lunar exploration and pave the way for crewed missions to Mars.
We intend to stay. We will go further. The kind of thrust needed to send astronauts beyond LEO for the first time in over 50 years will be provided by theRS 25.
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