According to the plan, this is the rocket that will send Artemis astronauts to the Moon
6 March NASA successfully conducted a full test of the RS-25 engine, completing the final stage of certification testing of new engines for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. These engines are expected to be used in future Artemis missions to explore the Moon.
The burning of the RS-25 engine took place at the test bench named after. Fred Hayes at the Stennis Space Center (Mississippi). This was 9 of a planned series of 12 trials. The purpose of the tests was to obtain the data necessary to certify the updated engine production process using innovative technologies that are being developed by the leading contractor — Aerojet Rocketdyne in collaboration with L3Harris Technologies.
For 10 minutes (600 seconds), the operators started the certification engine. This time exceeds the time required to launch the SLS rocket and deliver astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. During testing of the RS-25, the engine was run at various power levels — from 80% to 113% to test its performance in different scenarios. The actual SLS rocket would use four RS-25 engines along with a pair of solid rocket boosters, providing a maximum thrust of more than 8.8 million pounds (about 39 million newtons) at launch.
The Artemis program, which NASA is implementing, including using the Space Launch System and RS-25 engines, will be a profound step in the exploration of the Moon and preparation for further expeditions to Mars. The goal of the program is to create the basis for long-term scientific exploration and human presence on the Moon.