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BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — NASA conducted the first hot fire on Wednesday in a new series of tests for production of RS-25 engines that will help power the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on future deep space missions.

The test of RS-25 developmental engine No. 0528 on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss., marks the beginning of a seven-test series designed to provide valuable data to Aerojet Rocketdyne, lead contractor for SLS engines, as the company begins production of new RS-25 engines.

RS-25 engine test fired at the Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss., on Jan. 28, 2021
PHOTO CREDIT – NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administratio

Four RS-25 engines help power SLS at launch, firing simultaneously to generate a combined 1.6 million pounds of thrust at launch and 2 million pounds of thrust during ascent.

NASA is building SLS as the world’s most powerful rocket. Initial SLS missions will fly to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, including the Artemis I uncrewed test flight this year that will pave the way for future flights with astronauts to explore the lunar surface and prepare for missions to Mars.

RS-25 tests at Stennis are conducted by a combined team of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Syncom Space Services operators. Syncom Space Services is the prime contractor for Stennis facilities and operations

All four Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engines fired simultaneously at Stennis in mid-January. WGNO Chief Meteorologist Hank Allen sat down with Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RS-25 Program Manager Jeff Zotti to talk about the test and what it means for NASA and the Stennis Space Center.