NASA tests last RS-25 engine at Stennis Space Center

The John C. Stennis Space Center tested its last RS-25 engine for the season.

This engine will send astronauts to the moon. As powerful as this one RS-25 engine sounds, it doesn’t have the power to launch Artemis V into space alone. Director of Safety and Mission Assurance Gary Benton said, “It takes four of these RS-25 engines to power that, along with two silent rocket boosters. So, this is one of those four engines that will be used on that rocket to take astronauts to the moon.”

The goal of these tests is for the RS-25 to last 500 seconds, or roughly eight-and-a-half minutes, at full power. “That’s the same time that they would run during an Artemis mission. So, we try to test the engine as closely to how it’s going to operate when it’s actually flying.”

The test is so loud that hearing protection is required. As the engine powers up, there’s a loud pop, rumbling, and then steam begins to filter out as liquid hydrogen mixes with liquid oxygen.

This test is the last in a series of twelve RS-25 engine tests. It’s not the end however, because NASA will be back in the fall with more test to run. “We’ll have a couple of month of downtime, maybe to catch up on maintenance to the facility, but there’s another test series that’s going to start in the Fall with probably different components they’re going to check out.”

Now, NASA can move forward with producing updated RS-25 engines that will shoot for the stars. “This place has such a rich history of support whether it was Apollo missions or space shuttle missions and now the SLS rocket and Artemis I, which launched last year… and we’re getting ready to do Artemis II next year, which will take the astronauts around the moon so it’s great to be part of this big mission and it’s great to have it here in Mississippi.”