NASA Test Fires Developmental RS-25 Engine for Nearly Eight and a Half Minutes at Stennis Space Center
NASA tested developmental RS-25 engine No. 10001 on the Fred Haise Test Stand at the Stennis Space Center near Bay St.
NASA tested developmental RS-25 engine No. 10001 on the Fred Haise Test Stand at the Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Test teams fired the engine for nearly eight-and-a-half minutes, matching the exact duration required during the launch of NASA's Space Launch System rocket. Operators also pushed the engine up to the 111% power level, which provides the thrust needed to launch the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft into orbit. The evaluation aimed to acceptance test flight components for upcoming Artemis missions and validate a new thermal protection system designed to shield the engine nozzle from extreme launch heat.
Although this specific developmental engine will not fly, the hot fire test allows NASA and prime contractor L3Harris Technologies to gather critical data on performance and reliability. Four RS-25 engines generate up to two million pounds of combined thrust for each Artemis flight.
Operators from NASA, L3Harris, and Nova Space Solutions conducted the evaluation. All flight engines undergo testing and prove their flightworthiness at Stennis prior to deployment.
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Original publication: 22 October 2026 02:21
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