The world’s most powerful rocket, designed for future manned spaceflight, had a successful startup test this week – the latest milestone for NASA’s Space Launch System. This final qualification ground test at an Orbital ATK site in Promontory, Utah, allows NASA to plan for a first unmanned test flight with its Orion spacecraft in 2018 in preparation for future missions to Mars. Tuesday’s two-minute test of the 154-foot QM-2 motor produced about 3.6 million pounds of thrust and a flame that blasted out of the motor at Mach 3, according to Orbital ATK. Before the test, the motor was cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to test the propellant at lower temperatures. The rocket was first ground tested in 2015 at 90 degrees.
“Today’s test is the pinnacle of years of hard work by the NASA team, Orbital ATK and commercial partners across the country,” NASA said in announcing the test was a success. “SLS hardware is currently in production for every part of the rocket. NASA also is making progress every day on Orion and the ground systems to support a launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.” The entire assembly, when ready for flight, will include two five-segment, solid-fuel boosters and four main liquid engines to produce the required thrust to launch into space.
