NASA prepares for Space Launch System engine tests

(RS-25 rocket engine No. 0525 positioned in preparation for testing – Photo Credit: NASA)

Engineers at NASA have taken a crucial step in the construction of agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) by installing one of the rocket’s RS-25 engines on the A-1 Test Stand at the Stennis Space Center in preparation for extensive assessments.

NASA and Boeing finalize $2.8 billion SLS contract

(Artist’s conception of the SLS – Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC)

Following the completion of a Critical Design Review (CDR), Boeing has signed a $2.8 billion contract with NASA to begin full production of the core stage of the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS), the first human space exploration vessel since Saturn V – the rocket that sent man to the moon.