NASA tests the motor part to reduce costs

NASA has redesigned and tested a key component of the RS-25 engine that powers the Space Launch System's (SLS) new space rocket, incorporating modern manufacturing techniques that dramatically reduce cost and manufacturing time. .

The redesigned main combustion chamber, which is the heart of the engine, worked well during two tests in flight conditions. During the tests, the temperatures reached 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the part was pressured by 3,000 pounds while the engine ignited in a test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, in Mississippi. At the launch of SLS, four RS-25 engines will produce two million pounds of thrust to help send SLS into space for missions on the Moon and beyond.

"We test propulsion parts such as the main combustion chamber, one of the most complex and critical components for engine operation, to reduce costs without sacrificing reliability, safety or performance." "said Steve Wofford, head of liquid engines at SLS. . "The SLS rocket will be the most powerful rocket in the world, and these tests show that the engines can be manufactured with modern manufacturing techniques and that they can send astronauts to the moon safely. "

Inside the chamber, fuel and oxidant burn and pass through the nozzle to turn high-pressure combustion into 500,000 pounds of thrust produced by each engine. The new design of the chamber reduces the complexity of the room by eliminating 29 welds. The chamber is manufactured in less time for less money thanks to a bonding technique called hot isostatic bonding – or HIP. The internal metal lining of the chamber and the outer sheath are bonded together under very high pressures and temperatures.

"The innovative gluing process has reduced the cost of the room and construction time by about 50% each." said Mike Shadoan, head of SLS combustion appliances for liquid engines. "This series of nine tests allows us to test flight controllers for early missions and, at the same time, expose parts manufactured with innovative techniques to the same conditions they will see during launch and flight."

The RS-25 has proven itself during the space shuttle program and has been updated with new controllers and new nozzle isolation for its work with SLS. Currently, the SLS program has 16 engines in its Space Shuttle program inventory, sufficient for four flights.

The engines of the next flights are being built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, prime contractor for the SLS main stage engine, at its Canoga Park, California facility. NASA and Aerojet engineers strive to intelligently incorporate modern manufacturing techniques, not only into the chamber, but also into the key components of the entire engine, resulting in many advantages in terms of cost, schedule and reduced complexity.

"Hot engine testing is the ultimate proof that new component designs and the incorporation of modern manufacturing technologies are paying off for the program," said Dan Adamski, director of Aerojet Rocketdyne's RS-25 program. "The further testing will incorporate additional upgraded components into the engine design and result in final certification by 2021."

During six tests, technicians and engineers tested the first part printed in 3D on an RS-25 engine, the pogo accumulator. Aerojet Rocketdyne is under contract to manufacture a first set of six new engines for future SLS missions. These new engines will be manufactured using components and techniques that are being validated on development engines during engine testing at Stennis.

NASA is returning to the moon through an innovative and sustainable exploration program to expand the human presence in the solar system. Starting with Mission-1 Exploration, SLS and Orion will demonstrate the essential basic capabilities that will transport humans to the Moon and further into space than ever before on a variety of increasingly complex missions. The unprecedented power and volume of SLS will also include the large hardware needed to build the bridge and other long-term infrastructure on the Moon and, later, for human missions on Mars.

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