Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Test

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA's Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Ground Test

The largest, most powerful rocket booster ever built successfully fired up Wednesday for a major-milestone ground test in preparation for future missions to help propel NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to deep space destinations, including an asteroid and Mars.

The booster fired for two minutes, the same amount of time it will fire when it lifts the SLS off the launch pad, and produced about 3.6 million pounds of thrust. The test was conducted at the Promontory, Utah test facility of commercial partner Orbital ATK, and is one of two tests planned to qualify the booster for flight. Once qualified, the flight booster hardware will be ready for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first SLS flight.

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[moon tide]

I just watched a video of the test on YouTube. Furious.

[moon tide]

This video's great for hearing the sound of the rocket. Good footage too.

[Athena1979]

God bless human ingenuity and pyromaniacs!

hundreds of years from now, people will happen upon the glass in the desert and wonder what created it.

[paperdyer]

And not one UFO or mysterious lights report

[ancient astronaut]

Conventional boosters still lead to the problem of space junk in our atmosphere. Making future missions all the more hazardous due to debris, I think this problem should be addressed sooner than later. It is very impressive to watch though.

Edited March 12, 2015 by ancient astronaut

[+Noteverythingisaconspiracy]

Conventional boosters still lead to the problem of space junk in our atmosphere. Making future missions all the more hazardous due to debris, I think this problem should be addressed sooner than later. It is very impressive to watch though.

As the SLS boosters are never going to enter orbit, they will not add to the space junk problem.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Noteverythingisaconspiracy

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Conventional boosters still lead to the problem of space junk in our atmosphere.

As the SLS boosters are never going to enter orbit, they will not add to the space junk problem.

Not to mention that space junk is most definitely NOT in our atmosphere.

[ancient astronaut]

Not to mention that space junk is most definitely NOT in our atmosphere.

Correction in orbit, I had a brain fart.

[ROGER]

I see Kieth over at the Nasa Watch site disputes this claim . [ Aerojet, Wikipedia

"Between Sept. 25, 1965 and June 17, 1967, three static test firings were done. SL-1 was fired at night, and the flame was clearly visible from Miami 50 km away, producing over 3 million pounds of thrust. SL-2 was fired with similar success and relatively uneventful. SL-3, the third and what would be the final test rocket, used a partially submerged nozzle and produced 2,670,000 kgf thrust, making it the largest solid-fuel rocket ever."

Keith's note: That picture shows 5.88 million pounds of good old 1960s Aerojet rocket thrust folks (larger image) compared with only 3.6 million pounds of 2015 Orbital ATK thrust. Funny how NASA has forgotten the amazing things it once paid Aerojet to do back in the day. Indeed it has been thumping this incorrect "most powerful rocket booster" mantra for weeks.

Aerojet-Dade Rocket Facility (this place still exists!) ] From : http://www.nasawatch.com/

[Merc14]

I see Kieth over at the Nasa Watch site disputes this claim . [ Aerojet, Wikipedia

"Between Sept. 25, 1965 and June 17, 1967, three static test firings were done. SL-1 was fired at night, and the flame was clearly visible from Miami 50 km away, producing over 3 million pounds of thrust. SL-2 was fired with similar success and relatively uneventful. SL-3, the third and what would be the final test rocket, used a partially submerged nozzle and produced 2,670,000 kgf thrust, making it the largest solid-fuel rocket ever."

Keith's note: That picture shows 5.88 million pounds of good old 1960s Aerojet rocket thrust folks (larger image) compared with only 3.6 million pounds of 2015 Orbital ATK thrust. Funny how NASA has forgotten the amazing things it once paid Aerojet to do back in the day. Indeed it has been thumping this incorrect "most powerful rocket booster" mantra for weeks.

Aerojet-Dade Rocket Facility (this place still exists!) ] From : http://www.nasawatch.com/

Did he mention that the testing area is a superfund site where they are trying to clean up all the propellant that was scattered from their testing? You didn't leave a link so I couldn't ask him about that, although I am sure someone has by now. NASA did qualify their statement by saying "successful test", something that can't be said for that third Aerojet test so not sure his allegation is fair. Keith's note should read .....5.88million pounds of good old Aerojet rocket thrust folks, right before the nozzle blew off scattering propellant for miles.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Merc14