NASA Fires RS‑25 Engine to Validate SLS Components Ahead of Artemis

On October 21, NASA conducted a 500‑second hot‑fire test of RS‑25 engine No. 10001 on the Fred Haise Test Stand at Stennis Space Center. The engine ran at 111 % of its rated power, matching the thrust required for future SLS launches that will carry the Orion spacecraft into orbit. The test’s primary goal was to accept flight components for Artemis missions and to validate a new thermal‑protection system designed to shield the engine nozzle from the extreme heat of the SLS ascent. Although the developmental engine will not fly, the data collected will refine engine performance and reliability for the four RS‑25 units that together produce up to 2 million pounds of thrust on each Artemis launch. The test was carried out by teams from NASA, L3Harris Technologies, and Nova Space Solutions, all of whom routinely certify RS‑25 engines before flight.