TEST STAND 4693 CONSTRUCTION RISES ABOVE THE TREE LINE. OCTOBER 23, 2015

PHIL HENDRIX, SPEAKS TO THE CROWD IN FRONT OF A STEEL BEAM DESTINED FOR TEST STAND 4693 DURING THE STRUCTURE'S TOPPING OUT CEREMONY APRIL 12.

TIM FLORES SPEAKS TO THE CROWD IN FRONT OF A STEEL BEAM DESTINED FOR TEST STAND 4693 DURING THE STRUCTURE'S TOPPING OUT CEREMONY APRIL 12.

BOB DEVLIN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MARSHALL'S OFFICE OF CENTER OPERATIONS, SPEAKS TO THE CROWD IN FRONT OF A STEEL BEAM DESTINED FOR TEST STAND 4693 DURING THE STRUCTURE'S TOPPING OUT CEREMONY APRIL 12.

HEATHER HANEY SIGNS FINAL BEAM TO BE PLACED ATOP TEST STAND 4693 DURING THE STRUCTURE'S TOPPING OUT CEREMONY

JENNIFER PRUITT AND BUDDY CLARK SMILE FOR THE CAMERA BEFORE SIGNING THE FINAL BEAM TO BE PLACED ATOP TEST STAND 4693 DURING THE STRUCTURE'S TOPPING OUT CEREMONY

The SLS Stages Intertank Structural Test Assembly (STA) is rolling off the NASA Pegasus Barge at the MSFC Dock enroute to the MSFC 4619 Load Test Annex test facility for qualification testing via MSFC West Test Area. STA approaches Test Stand 4693, SLS LH2 test Stand, on way to Bldg. 4619

The SLS Stages Intertank Structural Test Assembly (STA) is rolling off the NASA Pegasus Barge at the MSFC Dock enroute to the MSFC 4619 Load Test Annex test facility for qualification testing via MSFC West Test Area. Historic Saturn 1-C test stand on far left, blockhouse 4670 on far right, SLS LH2 test stand, 4693, in center.

Overall view of test stand 4693 in the west test area. The stand is scheduled to have another 3 story section added

NASA's Super Guppie flies over Marshall Space Flight Center's test stand 4693 in the west test area.

Students from the Tarik Black Foundation attend a STEM program at MSFC and visit SLS Test Stand 4693 in West Test Area. Gary Willis tells Tarik Black Foundation students about Test Stand 4693 and its importance in SLS development.

Retiring Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May on top of test stand 4693 in MSFC's west test area with MSFC in the background

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore in a group photograph with construction workers building SLS test stand 4693 in the West test area of the Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore visits with construction workers at the new SLS test stand, 4693, in the West test area of MSFC followed by a media event with NASA administrator, Charles Bolden

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore exchanges jacket and hard hat with one of the construction workers building SLS test stand 4693 in the West test area of the Marshall Space Flight Center

Aerial photograph of MSFC test stand 4693 with the Liquid Hydrogen test article (LH2) in the stand

Aerial photograph of MSFC test stand 4693 with the Liquid Hydrogen test article (LH2) in the stand

More than 700 NASA Marshall Space Flight Center team members, Boeing employees, Team Redstone participants and local officials filled 17 buses Feb. 6 to view the liquid hydrogen tank structural test article installed in Test Stand 4693 at Marshall. The 149-foot liquid hydrogen tank structural test article is the largest piece of structural test hardware for the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). At 221 feet tall, Test Stand 4693 is the largest test stand at Marshall -- as well as one of the newest. During testing, dozens of hydraulic cylinders in the test stand will push and pull on the tank to simulate the stresses and loads it will endure during liftoff and flight for lunar missions.

PLACEMENT OF THE FIRST STEEL GIRDERS FOR THE NEW SLS TEST STAND # 4693

Dr. Ruth Jones, Branch Chief for Industrial Safety Branch (QD12) at MSFC, at Test Stand 4693 which holds the Space Launch System Liquid Hydrogen Tank. Photo for publication in University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Alumni magazine.

MSFC Director Todd May, (green hard hat), poses with FBI Associate Deputy Director Paul Abbate, (4th from right), and agents atop SLS Test Stand 4693 with view toward land being cleared for FBI complex.

MSFC Director Todd May and FBI Associate Deputy Director Paul Abbate pose atop SLS Test Stand 4693 with historic TTB test stand in background

PLACEMENT OF THE FIRST STEEL GIRDERS FOR THE NEW SLS TEST STAND # 4693

MSFC Director Todd May presents token to FBI Associate Deputy Director Paul Abbate atop SLS Test Stand 4693

A CRANE MOVES THE FIRST STEEL TIER TO BE BOLTED INTO PLACE ON JAN. 6, FOR WELDING OF A SECOND NEW STRUCTURAL TEST STAND AT NASA'S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA -- CRITICAL TO DEVELOPMENT OF NASA'S SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM. WHEN COMPLETED THIS SUMMER, THE 85-FOOT-TALL TEST STAND 4697 WILL USE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS TO SUBJECT THE LIQUID OXYGEN TANK AND HARDWARE OF THE MASSIVE SLS CORE STAGE TO THE SAME LOADS AND STRESSES IT WILL ENDURE DURING A LAUNCH. THE STAND IS RISING IN MARSHALL'S WEST TEST AREA, WHERE WORK IS ALSO UNDERWAY ON THE 215-FOOT-TALL TOWERS OF TEST STAND 4693, WHICH WILL CONDUCT SIMILAR STRUCTURAL TESTS ON THE SLS CORE STAGE'S LIQUID HYDROGEN TANK. SLS, THE MOST POWERFUL ROCKET EVER BUILT, WILL CARRY ASTRONAUTS IN NASA'S ORION SPACECRAFT ON DEEP SPACE MISSIONS, INCLUDING THE JOURNEY TO MARS.

A CRANE MOVES THE FIRST STEEL TIER TO BE BOLTED INTO PLACE ON JAN. 6, FOR WELDING OF A SECOND NEW STRUCTURAL TEST STAND AT NASA'S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA -- CRITICAL TO DEVELOPMENT OF NASA'S SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM. WHEN COMPLETED THIS SUMMER, THE 85-FOOT-TALL TEST STAND 4697 WILL USE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS TO SUBJECT THE LIQUID OXYGEN TANK AND HARDWARE OF THE MASSIVE SLS CORE STAGE TO THE SAME LOADS AND STRESSES IT WILL ENDURE DURING A LAUNCH. THE STAND IS RISING IN MARSHALL'S WEST TEST AREA, WHERE WORK IS ALSO UNDERWAY ON THE 215-FOOT-TALL TOWERS OF TEST STAND 4693, WHICH WILL CONDUCT SIMILAR STRUCTURAL TESTS ON THE SLS CORE STAGE'S LIQUID HYDROGEN TANK. SLS, THE MOST POWERFUL ROCKET EVER BUILT, WILL CARRY ASTRONAUTS IN NASA'S ORION SPACECRAFT ON DEEP SPACE MISSIONS, INCLUDING THE JOURNEY TO MARS.

A CRANE MOVES THE FIRST STEEL TIER TO BE BOLTED INTO PLACE ON JAN. 6, FOR WELDING OF A SECOND NEW STRUCTURAL TEST STAND AT NASA'S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA -- CRITICAL TO DEVELOPMENT OF NASA'S SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM. WHEN COMPLETED THIS SUMMER, THE 85-FOOT-TALL TEST STAND 4697 WILL USE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS TO SUBJECT THE LIQUID OXYGEN TANK AND HARDWARE OF THE MASSIVE SLS CORE STAGE TO THE SAME LOADS AND STRESSES IT WILL ENDURE DURING A LAUNCH. THE STAND IS RISING IN MARSHALL'S WEST TEST AREA, WHERE WORK IS ALSO UNDERWAY ON THE 215-FOOT-TALL TOWERS OF TEST STAND 4693, WHICH WILL CONDUCT SIMILAR STRUCTURAL TESTS ON THE SLS CORE STAGE'S LIQUID HYDROGEN TANK. SLS, THE MOST POWERFUL ROCKET EVER BUILT, WILL CARRY ASTRONAUTS IN NASA'S ORION SPACECRAFT ON DEEP SPACE MISSIONS, INCLUDING THE JOURNEY TO MARS.

A CRANE MOVES THE FIRST STEEL TIER TO BE BOLTED INTO PLACE ON JAN. 6, FOR WELDING OF A SECOND NEW STRUCTURAL TEST STAND AT NASA'S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA -- CRITICAL TO DEVELOPMENT OF NASA'S SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM. WHEN COMPLETED THIS SUMMER, THE 85-FOOT-TALL TEST STAND 4697 WILL USE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS TO SUBJECT THE LIQUID OXYGEN TANK AND HARDWARE OF THE MASSIVE SLS CORE STAGE TO THE SAME LOADS AND STRESSES IT WILL ENDURE DURING A LAUNCH. THE STAND IS RISING IN MARSHALL'S WEST TEST AREA, WHERE WORK IS ALSO UNDERWAY ON THE 215-FOOT-TALL TOWERS OF TEST STAND 4693, WHICH WILL CONDUCT SIMILAR STRUCTURAL TESTS ON THE SLS CORE STAGE'S LIQUID HYDROGEN TANK. SLS, THE MOST POWERFUL ROCKET EVER BUILT, WILL CARRY ASTRONAUTS IN NASA'S ORION SPACECRAFT ON DEEP SPACE MISSIONS, INCLUDING THE JOURNEY TO MARS.