Author Topic: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION  (Read 89543 times)

Offline okan170

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1111
  • Los Angeles
  • Liked: 6806
  • Likes Given: 1345
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #40 on: 05/29/2015 05:10 pm »
Video of the test:

Offline Hog

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2846
  • Woodstock
  • Liked: 1700
  • Likes Given: 6866
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #41 on: 05/31/2015 05:29 am »
Thanks for posting OKAN.

There is a marked throttle up at 1:50 of the video timer and stays upthrottled until 7:20 which is a runtime of 5 mins 30 secs (330 seconds) at this elevated power level.

I wonder what this elevated power level was? The new 109% RPL?

6 more tests for development engine 0525 before being swapped out for DE-0528 for a series of 10 more hotfire tests.

« Last Edit: 05/31/2015 06:07 am by Hog »
Paul

Offline psloss

  • Veteran armchair spectator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17980
  • Liked: 4046
  • Likes Given: 2089
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #42 on: 05/31/2015 03:15 pm »
There is a marked throttle up at 1:50 of the video timer and stays upthrottled until 7:20 which is a runtime of 5 mins 30 secs (330 seconds) at this elevated power level.
The basics looked similar to Shuttle; the engine is throttled down from "full power" shortly after "liftoff" and then again to something like minimum power level at the end of the test to set up for shutdown.

Maybe we'll get to see some detailed test objectives on L2 at some point in the development series.

Online DaveS

  • Shuttle program observer
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8526
  • Sweden
  • Liked: 1199
  • Likes Given: 65
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #43 on: 05/31/2015 03:49 pm »
There is a marked throttle up at 1:50 of the video timer and stays upthrottled until 7:20 which is a runtime of 5 mins 30 secs (330 seconds) at this elevated power level.
The basics looked similar to Shuttle; the engine is throttled down from "full power" shortly after "liftoff" and then again to something like minimum power level at the end of the test to set up for shutdown.

Maybe we'll get to see some detailed test objectives on L2 at some point in the development series.

Actually, the engines was not at Rated Power Level (RPL) at lift-off (104.5%) but rather at 100%. Only at tower clear was the engines throttled up to 104.5%. Then for the throttle bucket, the engines throttled down (72%) and then back up to RPL. Then there was two more throttle downs, one for 3G-limiting (usually around 7:30) and then down again for shut down.

But for this test, they did throttle up the engine at the 1:50 mark as evident by the blue mach diamond moving away from the nozzle. If they throttled down, the diamond would have moved closer to the nozzle. This could be indicative of the RS-25 throttle profile for at least EM-1, where lift-off happens at a reduced power level (100%?) and then at tower clear it's throttled up to Full Power Level (FPL, 109%).
"For Sardines, space is no problem!"
-1996 Astronaut class slogan

"We're rolling in the wrong direction but for the right reasons"
-USA engineer about the rollback of Discovery prior to the STS-114 Return To Flight mission

Offline psloss

  • Veteran armchair spectator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17980
  • Liked: 4046
  • Likes Given: 2089
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #44 on: 05/31/2015 04:10 pm »
There is a marked throttle up at 1:50 of the video timer and stays upthrottled until 7:20 which is a runtime of 5 mins 30 secs (330 seconds) at this elevated power level.
The basics looked similar to Shuttle; the engine is throttled down from "full power" shortly after "liftoff" and then again to something like minimum power level at the end of the test to set up for shutdown.

Maybe we'll get to see some detailed test objectives on L2 at some point in the development series.

Actually, the engines was not at Rated Power Level (RPL) at lift-off (104.5%) but rather at 100%.
Yes, hence the double-quotes for "full power" and "liftoff."  I probably should have added Dr. Evil "laser" tags to make it more obvious. :P

Offline Hog

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2846
  • Woodstock
  • Liked: 1700
  • Likes Given: 6866
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #45 on: 06/01/2015 05:35 pm »
Interesting tidbits.

Minimum Power Level (MPL)=67% 316,100 lbs.
Rated Power Level (RPL)=100% 470,800 lbs.
Nominal Power Level (NPL)=104.5%=491,900 lbs.
Full Power Level (FPL)=109%=512,900 lbs

Each Percent of throttle= approx. 4,700lbs
Throttle range 67%-109%
Chamber pressure at 109%=3008 psi
Paul

Offline Hog

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2846
  • Woodstock
  • Liked: 1700
  • Likes Given: 6866
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #46 on: 07/15/2015 01:54 am »
Tomorrow should bring us yet another test of RS-25 test engine 0525..

I'm wondering if the following technologies are being tested in the current run of RS-25 tests of E0525 or if they will be incorporated in the new build "expendable" engines?

Here are a couple pics of some Z-baffles for a RS-25 engine.  These parts were manufactured using "Selective Laser Melting" which fuses metal dust with a high powered laser housed in the machine in the background(1st pic).

2nd pic: pogo z-baffle is being inspected with a structured light scan.
Paul

Offline Danny Dot

  • Rocket Scientist, NOT Retired
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2792
  • Houston, Texas
  • Liked: 17
  • Likes Given: 1
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #47 on: 08/12/2015 02:38 pm »
Do you mean the test will use the new controller?
Danny Deger

Offline robertross

  • Canadian Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17939
  • Westphal, Nova Scotia
  • Liked: 659
  • Likes Given: 7688
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #48 on: 08/12/2015 04:32 pm »
Do you mean the test will use the new controller?

They have been using the new controller for a while now (based on the J-2X design).

Obviously tweaking it along the way.

Offline Hog

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2846
  • Woodstock
  • Liked: 1700
  • Likes Given: 6866
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #49 on: 08/13/2015 11:14 am »
A NASA release:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

NASA TV to Air Test of Space Launch System Engine

NASA Television will broadcast live coverage Thursday, Aug. 13 of the penultimate hot fire test of an RS-25 engine. This is one of four engines that will power the core stage of NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS), and carry the agency’s Orion crew capsule as part of the journey to Mars and other deep space destinations.

From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT, NASA TV will broadcast a series of conversations at Stennis among media, social media followers, engineers and managers discussing the SLS rocket, Orion, ground systems, and the RS-25 engine. Viewers can ask questions via social media using the hashtag #askNASA.

Coverage of the 5 p.m. engine test will begin at 4:30 p.m. The test will last 535 seconds, the amount of time the engines will fire during an actual launch. Both programs can be viewed on NASA TV-1, the public channel for the space agency, and NASA TV-2, the education channel.

The test will take place on the historic A-1 test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and is part of a series designed to put the upgraded former space shuttle main engines through the rigorous temperature and pressure conditions they will experience during a launch.

The tests also support the development of a new controller, or “brain,” for the engine, which monitors engine status and communicates between the vehicle and the engine, relaying commands to the engine and transmitting data back to the vehicle. The controller also provides closed-loop management of the engine by regulating the thrust and fuel mixture ratio while monitoring the engine's health and status.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about NASA’s Space Launch System, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/rocket.html

-end-

http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-to-air-test-of-space-launch-system-engine

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A small correction for NASA.  The engine being used in todays test is E0525 which is a development/test engine.  It is NOT one of the 4 engines which will power SLS during EM-1 which is scheduled NLT(No Later Than) November 2018.


Very nice article Mr Sloss, it's nice to get some details about what is actually happening during these tests.
Link to article I am referring to.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/sls-test-stennis-team-overview-rs25-ignition/
Paul

Offline John44

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3887
  • Netherlands
    • space-multimedia
  • Liked: 258
  • Likes Given: 0

Offline Rocket Science

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10586
  • NASA Educator Astronaut Candidate Applicant 2002
  • Liked: 4548
  • Likes Given: 13523
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #51 on: 08/13/2015 11:21 pm »
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/sls-test-stennis-team-overview-rs25-ignition/

Thanks for the great article Philip of which I like to refer to as "The music of the Shuttles"... ;D
« Last Edit: 08/13/2015 11:24 pm by Chris Bergin »
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline Endeavour_01

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 694
  • Hazards & Risk Analyst in SC, USA
  • Liked: 759
  • Likes Given: 580
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #52 on: 08/14/2015 05:08 pm »
Video of the test.



http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/sls-test-stennis-team-overview-rs25-ignition/

Thanks for the great article Philip of which I like to refer to as "The music of the Shuttles"... ;D

Amen. It makes me feel so good to see them up and burning again.  ;D
I cheer for both NASA and commercial space. For SLS, Orion, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon, Starship/SH, Starliner, Cygnus and all the rest!
I was blessed to see the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-99. The launch was beyond amazing. My 8-year old mind was blown. I remember the noise and seeing the exhaust pour out of the shuttle as it lifted off. I remember staring and watching it soar while it was visible in the clear blue sky. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and I will never forget it.

Offline sdsds

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7201
  • “With peace and hope for all mankind.”
  • Seattle
  • Liked: 2050
  • Likes Given: 1962
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #53 on: 08/14/2015 05:28 pm »
Given the more or less precise nominal burn time of 535 seconds, and that the flight engines will be disposed of along with the core, planners must have a pretty good sense of where the final resting place of the EM-1 engines will be. Is the impact point in the Indian Ocean? Or the Pacific?
— 𝐬𝐝𝐒𝐝𝐬 —

Offline Martin FL

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2460
  • Liked: 137
  • Likes Given: 278
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #54 on: 08/27/2015 11:42 pm »
Great articles for this test series rounded off by this one!

Test complete!

Here's Philip's article to mark the series and preview the next - plus more on the turnaround of the engine between test six and seven. Top work by Philip with the access and quotes.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/rs-25-completes-test-series-next-engine/

Offline Hog

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2846
  • Woodstock
  • Liked: 1700
  • Likes Given: 6866
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #55 on: 09/03/2015 03:28 am »

Test complete!

Here's Philip's article to mark the series and preview the next - plus more on the turnaround of the engine between test six and seven. Top work by Philip with the access and quotes.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/rs-25-completes-test-series-next-engine/
Very nice article!

So we have DE-0525 which currently just finished its duty on the test stand for this current round of tests. DE-0525 will now be swapped out for the 2nd Development Engine-DE-0528 for another battery of tests for SLS usage. 16 Main Engines and 2 Development Engines for a total of 18 RS-25s in NASA's current inventory.

Block II/RS25D Engines with flight experience (listed with last mission flown)
1)  2044  STS-133
2)  2045  STS-135
3)  2047  STS-135
4)  2048  STS-133
5)  2050  STS-120
6)  2051  STS-132
7)  2052  STS-132
8)  2054  STS-131
9)  2056  STS-121
10) 2057 STS-134
11) 2058 STS-133
12) 2059 STS-134
13) 2060 STS-135
14) 2061 STS-134

Unflown Block II/RS25D engines
15) 2062 (circa 2010 build)
16) 2063 (2015 build)

Development Engines Block II/RS25D
17) 0525
18) 0528

According to the supplied excerpt from the 2000 Block III SSME Upgrades Project Overview which states that there are three-Block III Development Engines and two-Block III Certification Engines with a total of 154 starts and 60,000 seconds (16.6 hours)of hotfire runtime that were in existence at some time.
001-Development Engine
002-Development Engine
003-Development Engine
004-Certification Engine
005-Certification Engine

I wonder what became of these Block III RS-25 engines?

Heres a link to the 2000 Block III SSME proposal for those who haven't seen it.
http://archive.org/stream/nasa_techdoc_20000112952/20000112952#page/n0/mode/2up


Hopefully the next round of testing using DE-0528 goes as well as testing with DE-0525 did.



« Last Edit: 09/03/2015 03:31 am by Hog »
Paul

Offline russianhalo117

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8755
  • Liked: 4672
  • Likes Given: 768
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #56 on: 09/03/2015 04:47 am »

Test complete!

Here's Philip's article to mark the series and preview the next - plus more on the turnaround of the engine between test six and seven. Top work by Philip with the access and quotes.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/08/rs-25-completes-test-series-next-engine/
Very nice article!

So we have DE-0525 which currently just finished its duty on the test stand for this current round of tests. DE-0525 will now be swapped out for the 2nd Development Engine-DE-0528 for another battery of tests for SLS usage. 16 Main Engines and 2 Development Engines for a total of 18 RS-25s in NASA's current inventory.

Block II/RS25D Engines with flight experience (listed with last mission flown)
1)  2044  STS-133
2)  2045  STS-135
3)  2047  STS-135
4)  2048  STS-133
5)  2050  STS-120
6)  2051  STS-132
7)  2052  STS-132
8)  2054  STS-131
9)  2056  STS-121
10) 2057 STS-134
11) 2058 STS-133
12) 2059 STS-134
13) 2060 STS-135
14) 2061 STS-134

Unflown Block II/RS25D engines
15) 2062 (circa 2010 build)
16) 2063 (2015 build)

Development Engines Block II/RS25D
17) 0525
18) 0528

According to the supplied excerpt from the 2000 Block III SSME Upgrades Project Overview which states that there are three-Block III Development Engines and two-Block III Certification Engines with a total of 154 starts and 60,000 seconds (16.6 hours)of hotfire runtime that were in existence at some time.
001-Development Engine
002-Development Engine
003-Development Engine
004-Certification Engine
005-Certification Engine

I wonder what became of these Block III RS-25 engines?

Heres a link to the 2000 Block III SSME proposal for those who haven't seen it.
http://archive.org/stream/nasa_techdoc_20000112952/20000112952#page/n0/mode/2up


Hopefully the next round of testing using DE-0528 goes as well as testing with DE-0525 did.




Last I heard was they were placed into indefinite storage at Rocketdyne and procurement leads for flight engines was halted after STS-107 and cancelled shortly after shuttle retirement was announced by the President and NASA. I have no clue where they are since Boeing sold Rocketdyne.

Offline sghill

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1682
  • United States
  • Liked: 2092
  • Likes Given: 3200
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #57 on: 11/24/2015 12:41 pm »
And in other news, Aerojet-Rocketdyne was just awarded their contract to reopen the RS-25 production line.

http://www.satprnews.com/2015/11/24/nasa-and-aerojet-rocketdyne-to-restart-production-of-the-rs-25-engine-for-the-space-launch-system/

Bring the thunder!

Offline Todd Martin

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 210
  • Stacy, MN
  • Liked: 100
  • Likes Given: 113
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #58 on: 11/24/2015 01:25 pm »
The press release does not indicate how many RS-25 engines will be manufactured under the $1.16 Billion dollar contract.  Anyone know?

Offline woods170

  • IRAS fan
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12095
  • IRAS fan
  • The Netherlands
  • Liked: 18197
  • Likes Given: 12158
Re: RS-25 testing/development at Stennis for SLS - DISCUSSION
« Reply #59 on: 11/24/2015 01:34 pm »
The press release does not indicate how many RS-25 engines will be manufactured under the $1.16 Billion dollar contract.  Anyone know?
This contract is for re-developing the RS-25 to suit the SLS requirements beyond the 16 re-purposed STS SSME's. The contract can be modified to include the construction of 6 new engines.
The purchase of additional production RS-25's, based on the work done under this contract, will require a new contract (and thus additional money).
« Last Edit: 11/24/2015 01:38 pm by woods170 »

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1