March 2021 – Artemis

NASA Begins Major Assembly of Rocket Stage for First Crewed Artemis Mission

The NASA team is moving parts of the Space Launch System rocket to begin assembly of the forward, or upper part, of the rocket’s core stage for the Artemis II Moon mission. On March 19, the intertank was moved to the vertical assembly area at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans where the core stage is manufactured. The intertank flight hardware is part of the upper portion of the core stage that will help power Artemis II, the second flight of the deep space rocket and the first crewed lunar mission of NASA’s Artemis program.

The Space Launch System rocket’s intertank is the first piece of the upper part of the core stage to be moved for stacking in the vehicle assembly area at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

To form the massive, 212-foot-tall core stage for the agency’s Moon rocket, five major structures are joined together: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and engine section. NASA and Boeing, the core stage prime contractor, are preparing to connect three structures together to create the forward assembly of the core stage. The process of stacking and assembling the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, and intertank is called the forward join, and it is the first major vertical integration of hardware for the Artemis II core stage. The intertank is first installed in a vertical stacking cell at Michoud. Later, teams will move the liquid oxygen tank and forward skirt to the same area to stack the three structures together.

Ifographic on forward join The intertank contains avionics that are the “brains” of the rocket. It also serves as one of the main attach points for the twin solid rocket boosters that work with the core stage to send SLS to space. The core stage will supply propellant and power to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the stage to produce the remaining 2 million pounds of thrust needed to send the Artemis II mission to orbit.

NASA is working to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon. SLS and Orion, along with ground systems at Kennedy, the human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission. (NASA image)

Green Run Update: Post-Test Press Briefing at 7 p.m. ET.

Teams from NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Program conducted a successful full-duration hot fire test for more than 8 minutes. See press release HERE.

To learn more, tune in to NASA TV for a post-test briefing at 7 p.m. EDT at NASA Live.

Learn more about Green Run, and check back at this blog for updates on the SLS core stage hot fire test. Watch a replay of the test on NASA Television or NASA’s YouTube channel. For all the photos and videos related to the test, visit, the Green Run Album on NASA Images.org.

Video of today’s test can be downloaded there as well.

Green Run Update: Full Duration Hot Fire Successfully Completed on Mar. 18

Teams from NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Program conducted a successful full-duration 8 minute (499.6 seconds) hot fire of the Artemis I core stage on Thursday, Mar. 18 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi on the historic B-2 Test Stand.

The hot fire got underway at around 4:40 p.m. EDT with all four RS-25 engines ignited successfully and produced 1.6 million pounds of thrust, as they will to launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon. During the test the engines consumed more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant. The test was conducted with the core stage that will launch that first Artemis mission. Engineers collect data on how the stage behaved during critical operations, such as throttling the engines up and down and moving the engines dynamically in a variety of patterns. In coming days, engineers will scrutinize the data and determine if the stage is ready to be delivered to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will be integrated with the twin solid rocket boosters already stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

The core stage Green Run was a series of eight tests - all checked. — The core stage Green Run was a series of eight tests to checkout and validate operations with the largest rocket stage NASA has ever built. The flight hardware for the Artemis I mission was used for the test.

To learn more, tune in to NASA TV for a post-test briefing in about 2 hours.

Green Run Update: Engines Igniting as Hot Fire Gets Underway

The hot fire is underway for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Engine ignition began at approximately six tenths of a second before T-0, beginning with Engine 1, then Engines 3, 4, and 2 ignited in sequence a few hundredths of a second apart. The test is expected to last about 8 minutes and will include three different power levels for the engines, as well as engine gimballing, or pivoting, movements to simulate flight steering commands. Depending on the rate propellant is burned, the time is estimated to range from 485 to 493 seconds to simulate launch.

core stage RS-25 engines — All four of the Artemis I core stage RS-25 missions served on numerous space shuttle missions. Now they will launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon. Aerojet Rocketdyne is the prime contractor for the engines.

Learn more about Green Run, and check back at this blog for updates on the SLS core stage hot fire test.

Green Run Update: Terminal Countdown Sequence Started

The test conductor polled the team and has approved the decision to proceed with the terminal countdown that includes the final 10 minutes before the hot fire. During the terminal countdown, the team is executing the autonomous launch sequence that simulates the countdown for the Artemis I launch. The test transitions from ground control to on-board software control of the core stage and so the test is fully automated starting at T-30 seconds.

Key milestones during the final count include starting the core stage auxiliary power units (CAPUs) for each engine to provide power for the thrust vector control systems that gimbal, or move, the engines during the test, purging the engines with nitrogen gas to ensure they are completely clean before flowing propellant, moving the engines into position for engine start, and switching the core stage from external test stand power to internal battery power. The engines begin to power up 6 seconds before T-0.

Propellant barges docked near the B-2 Test Stand

Below are the key milestones in the terminal countdown:

T-4 minutes: Core Stage Auxiliary Power Unit CAPU Start
T-3 minutes: Engine Purge Sequence Start
T-2 minutes, 30 seconds: Pre-Ignition Gimbal Sequence Started
T-1 minute, 30 seconds: Core Stage to Internal Power
T-33 seconds: Automated Launch Sequence (ALS) Start
T-6 seconds: Engine Start Commands

The B-2 test stand flame deflector cooling water also will begin flowing to protect the deflector from superheated engine exhaust about a minute and a half before firing up the engines, and test stand acoustic suppression water flow will begin about 65 seconds before hot fire.

Hear the test conductor in the final minutes before the countdown during live coverage underway on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Learn more about Green Run, and check back at this blog for updates on the SLS core stage hot fire test.

Green Run Update: NASA TV Coverage Underway for Hot Fire Test

Countdown is continuing for the hot fire test of the core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The test is expected to start soon and last about 8 minutes to simulate launch and ascent of the SLS to orbit.

NASA Television coverage has begun. Watch live: http://www.nasa.gov/live

Teams powered up the core stage’s avionics systems Tuesday, Mar. 16, and began the countdown for the hot fire test earlier today. The team is continuing to closely monitor core stage and facility performance before proceeding into the final phase of the test: the terminal countdown leading to the hot fire.

During this test, the team has repeated many of the major milestones marked during the wet dress rehearsal and the first hot fire test, including chilling the main propulsion system and completely filling both propellant tanks. Coming up at 10 minutes before the test, the test conductor will poll the team who will give the final “go/no go” to proceed with the hot fire test.

Learn more about Green Run, and check back at this blog for updates on the SLS core stage hot fire test.

NASA Television Will Begin at 3:45 P.M. EDT

NASA Television coverage of the Space Launch System “Green Run” hot-fire engine test will begin at 3:45 p.m. EDT.

Green Run Update: Tanking Complete for Rocket Hot Fire Test

Engineers have completed tanking for the hot fire test of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage at the agency’s Stennis Space Center, and the countdown is proceeding normally.

The liquid hydrogen tank holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen, cooled to minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid oxygen tank holds 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen, cooled to minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit. After tanking is complete, the team will continue chilling down the liquid oxygen propellant to condition it before the hot fire. While they are conditioning the liquid oxygen, they replenish the liquid hydrogen as it boils off due to temperature fluctuations as the propellant is loaded. The tanks can be loaded up to 22 times for testing and launches.

This image shows the core stage liquid hydrogen tank at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans where it and the rest of the core stage where built and assembled. The flight core stage for the Artemis I mission is being tested today. Boeing, the prime contractor for the core stage, has already manufactured liquid hydrogen tanks for the Artemis II and Artemis III lunar missions.

This part of the test timeline is also important as it pertains to simulating launch. During a launch, many activities will be happening on the pad at this time, such as loading the crew. The hot fire test provides an opportunity to demonstrate that the core stage can remain in a stable configuration and be replenished as needed before engine firing to launch the rocket.

Learn more about Green Run, and check back at this blog for updates on the SLS core stage hot fire test.

Green Run Update: Test Teams Gives “Go” to Proceed with Tanking

The test team conducted a pre-test briefing in the Test Control Center at the B test complex at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and gave a “go” to proceed with testing and to fill the propellant tanks.

Over the next several hours, the teams will monitor the systems and load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic, or supercooled, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen that will be fed to the four RS-25 engines during the hot fire test later today.

The hot fire will last up to 8 minutes and is scheduled to take place during a two-hour window that begins at 3 p.m. EDT. Live coverage will begin 30 minutes before the test on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Learn more about Green Run, and check back at this blog for updates on the SLS core stage hot fire test.

Green Run Update: Hot Fire Exposes Core Stage to Spaceflight Stresses

During NASA’s Green Run hot fire test, the team will be especially interested in several key operations when testing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage under conditions it may experience during a variety of deep space missions.

Green Run, an end-to-end system test of the core stage with Artemis I flight hardware, will help validate the core stage design. One of the main questions Green Run will answer is: How does the integrated core stage perform during a series of dynamic operations it may experience during launch and ascent to deep space? The test is not only for environments and operations that the rocket’s core stage will encounter on Artemis I, but also for those it will undergo during future missions.

This video explains more about the operations occurring during the Green Run hot fire.

Hot fire day begins with filling the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks with more than 700,000 gallons of propellant. After the supercold propellant is loaded and the core stage systems are conditioned to cryogenic temperatures as low as minus 423 degtrees Fahrenheit, the test conductor will poll the team. When everything is ready, they will proceed with the terminal countdown that includes the final 10 minutes before the hot fire. During the terminal countdown, the team will initiate the autonomous launch sequence that simulates the countdown for the Artemis I launch. Then, the test transitions from ground control to on-board software control of the core stage so that the test is fully automated starting at T-30 seconds.

The core stage RS-25 engine ignition starts at approximately six seconds before T-0, beginning with Engine 1, followed by Engines 3, 4, and 2, each ignited in sequence a few hundredths of a second apart. Recording data on how the stage performs at T-0 and as the engines ramp up to 109 percent power is one critical test operation. Another is when the engines are throttled down to 95 percent, just as they are throttled down in flight at Max-Q, or maximum dynamic pressure when aerodynamic forces put the greatest stress on the rocket.

The team will also test the margins of the core stage thrust vector control system that gimbals, or moves, each engine in a specific pattern. Each engine has its own thrust vector control system that is essential for moving the engine to control the rocket’s flight. Depending on the trajectory flown, the thrust vector control system can gimbal the engines to direct thrust and thus the rocket’s path. The first gimbaling occurs a little over a minute into the test.

An important part of the hot fire occurs when this system begins rapidly moving the engines in specific patterns that are more extreme than those planned for Artemis missions. This occurs around 2 minutes and 10 seconds into the test. This test is called the frequency response test because it measures the stage’s frequency as the thrust vector control system gimbals the engine. The test ensures the thrust vector control system’s response is demonstrated under a variety of flight-like conditions. This is a very dynamic portion of the core stage hot fire test and understanding the thrust vector control system and the core stage’s response across a range of frequencies is important to understand the stage’s performance during flight.

To ensure SLS can safely send humans to space, NASA will use data from the Green Run test campaign, along with modeling and analysis, to show the core stage design can fly not only on Artemis I, but also for many deep space missions.

For updates on Green Run progress, check back at this blog. NASA TV coverage will begin about 30 minutes before the test. For more information about SLS Green Run, visit https://www.nasa.gov/artemisprogram/greenrun