Stennis Space Center employees install the J-2X powerpack Dec. 5 in preparation for testing of the component, beginning in early 2012. The J-2X rocket engine is being developed as part of NASA's new Space Launch System.
NASA engineers continued to collect test performance data on the new J-2X rocket engine at Stennis Space Center with a 250-second test Sept. 14. The test on the A-2 Test Stand was the 19th in a series of firings to gather critical data for continued development of the engine. The J-2X is being developed by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. It is the first liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engine rated to carry humans into space to be developed in 40 years.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (r) takes an up-close look at the first development J-2X rocket engine on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center during an April 20, 2012, visit. Pictured with Bolden is A-2 Test Stand Director Skip Roberts. The J-2X engine is being developed for NASA by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (r) takes an up-close look at the first development J-2X rocket engine on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center during an April 20, 2012, visit. Pictured with Bolden is A-2 Test Stand Director Skip Roberts. The J-2X engine i s being developed for NASA by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
NASA conducted a long-duration test of the J-2X powerpack, 1,261 seconds total, on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on Aug. 16, marking another step in development of the next-generation rocket engine. The powerpack is a system of components on the top portion of the J-2X engine, including the gas generator, oxygen and fuel turbopumps, and related ducts and valves.
NASA conducted a key stability test firing of the J-2X rocket engine on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on Dec. 1, marking another step forward in development of the upper-stage engine that will carry humans deeper into space than ever before. The J-2X will provide upper-stage power for NASA's new Space Launch System.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne employees Carlos Alfaro (l) and Oliver Swanier work on the main combustion element of the J-2X rocket engine at their John C. Stennis Space Center facility. Assembly of the J-2X rocket engine to be tested at the site is under way, with completion and delivery to the A-2 Test Stand set for June. The J-2X is being developed as a next-generation engine that can carry humans into deep space. Stennis Space Center is preparing a trio of stands to test the new engine.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne employees Carlos Alfaro (l) and Oliver Swanier work on the main combustion element of the J-2X rocket engine at their John C. Stennis Space Center facility. Assembly of the J-2X rocket engine to be tested at the site is under way, with completion and delivery to the A-2 Test Stand set for June. The J-2X is being developed as a next-generation engine that can carry humans into deep space. Stennis Space Center is preparing a trio of stands to test the new engine.
NASA engineers at Stennis Space Center conducted a 260-second test of the next-generation J-2X rocket engine June 13, 2012. As in a previous test, NASA engineers fired the engine at both secondary and primary modes to collect performance data.
NASA's test of the J-2X rocket engine on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on July 13 was picture perfect in more ways than one. Not only did the test provide a breathtaking view from atop the nearby A-1 Test Stand, and with the center's B-1/B-2 Test Stand in the background, but it achieved its target of 550 seconds. The test continued a series of firings to gather critical data for engine development.
NASA engineers continued testing the next-generation J-2X rocket engine at Stennis Space Center with a 250-second test on Sept. 7. The test was the first conducted after the arrival of Hurricane Isaac forced closure of the Stennis facility for three days in late August. The est was conducted on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis. The facility's B-1/B-2 Test Stand can be seen in the left background.
John C. Stennis Space Center employees remove one-half of the A-2 Test Stand clamshell used for testing space shuttle main engines. Space shuttle main engine testing concluded July 2009; the A-2 stand now is being prepared for testing the next-generation J-2X rocket engine in development. Testing of the J-2X engine is scheduled to begin in 2011.
Stennis Space Center Director Gene Goldman visits with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour during NASA Day at the Capitol activities on Feb. 19. During the visit, Goldman presented the governor with a model of the J-2X rocket engine currently in development. Stennis engineers did early component testing for the new engine.
John C. Stennis Space Center employees remove space shuttle main engine run ducts from the A-2 Test Stand engine deck Oct. 25, 2010. Testing of space shuttle main engines concluded in July 2009. Stennis is preparing the A-2 Test Stand for testing the next-generation J-2X rocket engine being developed. Testing of the new engine is scheduled to begin in 2011.
John C. Stennis Space Center employees install a new master interface tool on the A-2 Test Stand on Oct. 27, 2010. Until July 2009, the stand had been used for testing space shuttle main engines. With that test series complete, employees are preparing the stand for testing the next-generation J-2X rocket engine being developed. Testing of the new engine is scheduled to begin in 2011.
A J-2X powerpack assembly burns brightly during a hot-fire test Nov. 27 at John C. Stennis Space Center. The test, which ran for 278 seconds, was conducted on the A-1 Test Stand.
The J-2X powerpack assembly was fired up one last time on Dec. 13 at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, finishing a year of testing on an important component of America's next heavy-lift rocket. The powerpack assembly burned millions of pounds of propellants during a series of 13 tests during 2012 totaling more than an hour and a half.
NASA conducted a 340-second test of the J-2X engine powerpack at Stennis Space Center on May 10, 2012, marking another step in development of the next-generation rocket engine. The powerpack is a system of components on the top portion of the J-2X engine.
A photograph of a J-2X rocket engine on the A-2 Test Stand from atop the B Test Stand at Stennis Space Center offers a panoramic view of the A Test Complex. The J-2X engine is being developed for NASA by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to carry humans deeper into space than ever before.
NASA conducted a successful seven-second test of the next-generation J-2X rocket engine on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on May 16, 2012. The J-2X is being developed for NASA by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
NASA engineers successfully complete the first series of tests in the early development of the J-2X engine that will power the Ares I and Ares V rockets, key components of NASA's Constellation Program.
NASA engineers successfully complete the first series of tests in the early development of the J-2X engine that will power the Ares I and Ares V rockets, key components of NASA's Constellation Program.
Engineers at NASA's Stennis Space Center conducted a test of the J-2X engine powerpack Feb. 15, 2012, the first in a series of key tests in development of the next-generation rocket.
On May 25, 2012, NASA recorded another first during a 40-second test of the next-generation J-2X engine on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center. Test conductors fired the J-2X in both the secondary and primary modes of operation. Previous tests were run in one mode only; combining the two allowed operators to collect critical data on engine performance.
Two J-2X engines and a powerpack, developed for NASA by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, sit side-by-side Oct. 11 at Stennis Space Center as work continues on the Space Launch System. Engine 10001 (far left) has been removed from the A-2 Test Stand after being hot-fire tested 21 times, for a total of 2,697 seconds. The engine is now undergoing a series of post-test inspections. A J-2X powerpack (center) has been removed from the A-1 Test Stand to receive additional instrumentation. So far, the powerpack been hot-fire tested 10 times, for a total of 4,162 seconds. Meanwhile, assembly on the second J-2X engine, known as Engine 10002 and located to the far right, has begun in earnest, with engine completion scheduled for this November. Engine 10002 is about 15 percent complete.
J-2X engine No. 10001 is returned March 8, 2012, to the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center for its second round of tests. The developmental engine underwent an initial series of tests last year. The J-2X engine is being built for NASA by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
Two J-2X engines and a powerpack, developed for NASA by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, sit side-by-side Oct. 11 at Stennis Space Center as work continues on the Space Launch System. Engine 10001 (far left) has been removed from the A-2 Test Stand after being hot-fire tested 21 times, for a total of 2,697 seconds. The engine is now undergoing a series of post-test inspections. A J-2X powerpack (center) has been removed from the A-1 Test Stand to receive additional instrumentation. So far, the powerpack been hot-fire tested 10 times, for a total of 4,162 seconds. Meanwhile, assembly on the second J-2X engine, known as Engine 10002 and located to the far right, has begun in earnest, with engine completion scheduled for this November. Engine 10002 is about 15 percent complete.
On May 16, 2012, engineers at Stennis Space Center conducted a test of the next-generation J-2X engine that will help power NASA's new Space Launch System, moving NASA even closer to a return to deep space.
The A-3 Test Stand under construction at Stennis Space Center is set for completion and activation in 2013. It will allow operators to conduct simulated high-altitude testing on the next-generation J-2X rocket engine.
The A-3 Test Stand under construction at Stennis Space Center is set for completion and activation in 2013. It will allow operators to conduct simulated high-altitude testing on the next-generation J-2X rocket engine.
The first hot-fire test of the J-2X power pack 1A gas generator was performed Jan. 31 on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center. Initial indications are that all test objectives were met. The test was designed as a 3.42-second helium spin start with gas generator ignition and it went the full scheduled duration. Test conductors reported a smooth start with normal shutdown and described the event as a 'good test.' The test was part of the early component testing for the new J-2X engine being built by NASA to power the Ares I and Ares V rockets that will carry humans back to the moon and on to Mars. It was performed as one in a series of 12 scheduled tests. Those tests began last November at Stennis, but the January 31 event represented the first hot-fire test. The Stennis tests are a critical step in the successful development of the J-2X engine.
Just two weeks after setting a record with a long-duration test of the J-2X rocket engine powerpack assembly, NASA engineers at Stennis Space Center exceeded it. On July 24, 2012, engineers surpassed the earlier 1,150-second record with a 1,350-second test of the engine component on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis.
Nyla Trumbach, a NASA lead mechanical engineer, broke barriers as the first female to conduct a J-2X powerpack engine test at Stennis Space Center. She currently works on testing of the RS-25 rocket engine, shown installed on the A-1 Test Stand at SSC.
A plume of steam signals a successful engine start of the J-2X rocket engine on the A-3 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on July 26. The 3.7-second test was the second on the next-generation engine, which is being developed for NASA by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
A J-2X next-generation rocket engine is lifted onto the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center. Testing of the engine began the following month. The engine is being developed for NASA by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and could help carry humans beyond low-Earth orbit into deep space once more.
Employees maneuver a vertical engine installer into place on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on Sept. 23. Installation of the equipment was a milestone event as the historic stand underwent modifications for testing the powerpack component of NASA's new J-2X rocket engine in development.
SSC's A-1, A-2 and B test stands were built in the early 1960s to test the first and second stages of the Apollo Saturn V rocket that safely transported Americans to the moon. The A-1 Stand (foreground) will soon test the J-2X engines that will power the rockets to take Americans back to the moon.
NASA removed J-2X engine No. 10001 from the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center in early October. Opening of the test stand clamshell flooring allowed a clear view of the next-generation engine and stub nozzle, which is being built to help power future deep-space missions. The engine is an upgrade from the heritage J-2 rocket engine, which helped power Apollo missions to the moon during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Team members check the progress of a liquid nitrogen cold shock test on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on Sept. 15. The cold shock test is used to confirm the test stand's support system can withstand test conditions, when super-cold rocket engine propellant is piped. The A-1 Test Stand is preparing to conduct tests on the powerpack component of the J-2X rocket engine, beginning in early 2012.
In a news conference broadcast live on NASA TV, key NASA leaders discussed the significance of the successful 500-second test of the agency's new J-2X rocket engine at Stennis Space Center on Nov. 9. The engine will provide upper-stage power for NASA's new Space Launch System being developed to carry humans deeper into space than ever before. Participating in the session were: (l to r) Dan Kanigan, Dan Dumbacher, Joan 'Jody' Singer, Stennis Director Patrick Scheuermann and Mike Kynard.
A CONCEPT IMAGE SHOWS THE ARES I CREW LAUNCH VEHICLE DURING ASCENT. ARES I IS AN IN-LINE, TWO-STAGE ROCKET CONFIGURATION TOPED BY THE ORION CREW EXPLORATION VEHICLE AND LAUNCH ABORT SYSTEM. THE ARES I FIRST STAGE IS A SINGLE, FIVE-SEGMENT REUSABLE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER, DERIVED FROM THE SPACE SHUTTLE. ITS UPPER STAGE IS POWERED BY A J-2X ENGINE. ARES I WILL CARRY THE ORION WITH ITS CRW OF UP TO SIX ASTRONAUTS TO EARTH ORBIT.
NASA ADMINISTRATOR CHARLES BOLDEN, LEFT, TALKS WITH FRANK LEDBETTER, CHIEF OF THE NONMETALLIC MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING DIVISION AT MARSHALL, ABOUT A PART OF A PROTOTYPE FOR THE CORE STAGE-TO-BOOSTER ATTACH FITTING DURING BOLDEN'S FEB. 22 VISIT TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RAPID PROTOTYPING FACILITY AT MARSHALL. DURING HIS TOUR, BOLDEN WATCHED RESEARCHERS EMPLOY A 3-D PRINTING PROCESS CALLED "SELECTIVE LASER MELTING" TO CREATE COMPLEX PARTS FOR THE J-2X AND RS-25 ROCKET ENGINES -- WITHOUT WELDING.
Named for the Greek god associated with Mars, the NASA developed Ares launch vehicles will return humans to the moon and later take them to Mars and other destinations. In this early illustration, the vehicle depicted on the left is the Ares I. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Orion crew vehicle and its launch abort system. In addition to its primary mission of carrying four to six member crews to Earth orbit, Ares I may also use its 25-ton payload capacity to deliver resources and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), or to "park" payloads in orbit for retrieval by other spacecraft bound for the moon or other destinations. The Ares I employs a single five-segment solid rocket booster, a derivative of the space shuttle solid rocket booster, for the first stage. A liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen J-2X engine derived from the J-2 engine used on the second stage of the Apollo vehicle will power the Ares V second stage. The Ares I can lift more than 55,000 pounds to low Earth orbit. The vehicle illustrated on the right is the Ares V, a heavy lift launch vehicle that will use five RS-68 liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen engines mounted below a larger version of the space shuttle external tank, and two five-segment solid propellant rocket boosters for the first stage. The upper stage will use the same J-2X engine as the Ares I. The Ares V can lift more than 286,000 pounds to low Earth orbit and stands approximately 360 feet tall. This versatile system will be used to carry cargo and the components into orbit needed to go to the moon and later to Mars. Both vehicles are subject to configuration changes before they are actually launched. This illustration reflects the latest configuration as of September 2006.
Tree clearing for the site of the new A-3 Test Stand at Stennis Space center began June 13. NASA's first new large rocket engine test stand to be built since the site's inception, A-3 construction begins a historic era for America's largest rocket engine test complex. The 300-foot-tall structure is scheduled for completion in August 2010. A-3 will perform altitude tests on the Constellation's J-2X engine that will power the upper stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle and earth departure stage of the Ares V cargo launch vehicle. The Constellation Program, NASA's plan for carrying out the nation's Vision for Space Exploration, will return humans to the moon and eventually carry them to Mars and beyond.
NASA officials and government leaders participated in a groundbreaking event for a new rocket engine test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. Pictured (left to right) are Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Doug Cooke, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne President Jim Maser, Stennis Space Center Director Richard Gilbrech, NASA Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Scott Horowitz, NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Sen. Thad Cochran, Sen. Trent Lott, Rep. Gene Taylor, SSC's Deputy Director Gene Goldman, and SSC's A-3 Project Manager Lonnie Dutreix. Stennis' A-3 Test Stand will provide altitude testing for NASA's developing J-2X engine. That engine will power the upper stages of NASA's Ares I and Ares V rockets. A-3 is the first large test stand to be built at SSC since the site's inception in the 1960s.
The Stennis Space Center conducted the final space shuttle main engine test on its A-1 Test Stand Friday. The A-1 Test Stand was the site of the first test on a shuttle main engine in 1975. Stennis will continue testing shuttle main engines on its A-2 Test Stand through the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2010. The A-1 stand begins a new chapter in its operational history in October. It will be temporarily decommissioned to convert it for testing the J-2X engine, which will power the upper stage of NASA's new crew launch vehicle, the Ares I. Although this ends the stand's work on the Space Shuttle Program, it will soon be used for the rocket that will carry America's next generation human spacecraft, Orion.
The NASA developed Ares rockets, named for the Greek god associated with Mars, will return humans to the moon and later take them to Mars and other destinations. This is an illustration of the Ares V with call outs. The Ares V is a heavy lift launch vehicle that will use five RS-68 liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen engines mounted below a larger version of the space shuttle external tank, and two five-segment solid propellant rocket boosters for the first stage. The upper stage will use the same J-2X engine as the Ares I and past Apollo vehicles. The Ares V can lift more than 286,000 pounds to low Earth orbit and stands approximately 360 feet tall. This versatile system will be used to carry cargo and the components into orbit needed to go to the moon and later to Mars. Ares V is subject to configuration changes before it is actually launched. This illustration reflects the latest configuration as of January 2007.
Named for the Greek god associated with Mars, the NASA developed Ares launch vehicles will return humans to the moon and later take them to Mars and other destinations. This is an illustration of the Ares I with call outs. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Orion crew vehicle and its launch abort system. In addition to the primary mission of carrying crews of four to six astronauts to Earth orbit, Ares I may also use its 25-ton payload capacity to deliver resources and supplies to the International Space Station, or to "park" payloads in orbit for retrieval by other spacecraft bound for the moon or other destinations. Ares I employs a single five-segment solid rocket booster, a derivative of the space shuttle solid rocket booster, for the first stage. A liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen J-2X engine derived from the J-2 engine used on the Apollo second stage will power the Ares I second stage. The Ares I can lift more than 55,000 pounds to low Earth orbit. Ares I is subject to configuration changes before it is actually launched. This illustration reflects the latest configuration as of January 2007.
A model of the new Aries I crew launch vehicle, for which NASA is designing, testing and evaluating hardware and related systems, is seen here on display at the Marshall Space Fight Center (MSFC), in Huntsville, Alabama. The Ares I crew launch vehicle is the rocket that will carry a new generation of space explorers into orbit. Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA’s Constellation Program. These transportation systems will safely and reliably carry human explorers back to the moon, and then onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Ares I effort includes multiple project element teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the nation, and is led by the Exploration Launch Projects Office at NASA’s MFSC. Together, these teams are developing vehicle hardware, evolving proven technologies, and testing components and systems. Their work builds on powerful, reliable space shuttle propulsion elements and nearly a half-century of NASA space flight experience and technological advances. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Crew Exploration Vehicle, its service module and a launch abort system. The launch vehicle’s first stage is a single, five-segment reusable solid rocket booster derived from the Space Shuttle Program’s reusable solid rocket motor that burns a specially formulated and shaped solid propellant called polybutadiene acrylonitrile (PBAN). The second or upper stage will be propelled by a J-2X main engine fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In addition to its primary mission of carrying crews of four to six astronauts to Earth orbit, the launch vehicle’s 25-ton payload capacity might be used for delivering cargo to space, bringing resources and supplies to the International Space Station or dropping payloads off in orbit for retrieval and transport to exploration teams on the moon. Crew transportation to the space station is planned to begin no later than 2014. The first lunar excursion is scheduled for the 2020 timeframe.
Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation system will safely and reliably carry human explorers back to the moon, and then onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Ares I effort includes multiple project element teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the nation, and is managed by the Exploration Launch Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MFSC). ATK Launch Systems near Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the first stage booster. ATK's subcontractor, United Space Alliance of Houston, is designing, developing and testing the parachutes at its facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts the Constellation Program and Orion Crew Capsule Project Office and provides test instrumentation and support personnel. Together, these teams are developing vehicle hardware, evolving proven technologies, and testing components and systems. Their work builds on powerful, reliable space shuttle propulsion elements and nearly a half-century of NASA space flight experience and technological advances. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Crew Exploration Vehicle, its service module, and a launch abort system. The launch vehicle's first stage is a single, five-segment reusable solid rocket booster derived from the Space Shuttle Program's reusable solid rocket motor that burns a specially formulated and shaped solid propellant called polybutadiene acrylonitrile (PBAN). The second or upper stage will be propelled by a J-2X main engine fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. This HD video image depicts a test firing of a 40k subscale J2X injector at MSFC's test stand 115. (Highest resolution available)