NASA test of mega Moon rocket engines cut short
Saturday, 16 January 2021 18:40NASA conducted a test firing of the engines for its giant Space Launch System (SLS) lunar rocket on Saturday but they shut down earlier than planned, the space agency said.
The "hot-fire" test at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi was supposed to last a little over eight minutes—the time the engines would burn in flight—but they shut down just over a minute into the burn.
"Teams are assessing the data to determine what caused the early shutdown, and will determine a path forward," NASA said in a statement.
The SLS rocket is intended to launch the Artemis missions that will take US astronauts back to the Moon.
Despite being cut short, NASA said the test of the RS-25 engines had provided valuable information for the planned missions.
NASA's moon rocket roars to life during shortened test-firing
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Could we harness energy from black holes
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SecAF selects Huntsville, Alabama, as preferred location to host USSPACECOM
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North Korea shows off new submarine-launched missile
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