Nasa test of mega moon rocket engines cut short
- The hot-fire test on the engines of the Space Launch System, which was supposed to last eight minutes, was shut down after just over a minute
- Nasa is investigating what caused the early shutdown, but said it had still gleaned valuable information
Nasa has conducted a test firing of the engines for its giant Space Launch System (SLS) lunar rocket, although the tests were shut down earlier than planned, the space agency said.
The “hot-fire” test on Saturday at the Stennis Space Centre 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.
“Saturday’s test was an important step forward to ensure that the core stage of the SLS rocket is ready for the Artemis I mission, and to carry crew on future missions,” said Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine.