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- NASA successfully fired its solid booster rocket that will be part of the Space Launch System rocket.
- The test was conducted in Utah at the Northrop Grumman facility.
- The program has been plagued with delays and cost overruns since its inception.
The Space Launch System is NASA’s biggest gamble on the future of space exploration. It is a rocket platform capable of propelling missions (including manned missions) to the Moon, Mars, and perhaps beyond. It has struggled with delays and budget problems in recent years, but it seems things are finally coming together, and NASA was able to broadcast the firing test of one of the SLS solid rocket boosters this week in Utah.
The thruster, which will be one of two that will help push the spacecraft up and out of Earth’s atmosphere, needed to do two things during testing. First, it had to light up. Second, it didn’t have to explode. He managed to complete both objectives.
The test was relatively short, but when you have power-ups as powerful as these, you don’t have to shoot them for that long. The amp was tied to the test area and secured so it could go anywhere, which would have been bad, and the countdown started. The thruster ignited and spewed flames an incredible distance, igniting some bushes and sending smoke into the air.
It was quite a stage. Check it out in the video below. The actual firing of the booster does not begin until the 20:10 mark.
Some of the angles in the video are truly amazing, and seeing how far the amp can shoot its column of flame is pretty impressive. After firing, an instrument is inserted into the end of the thruster to flood it with CO2 and extinguish the flames, resulting in a dense fog that settles over the test area. In a final shot, you can see a fire on the hill next to the test area. Hopefully Northrop Grumman has someone available to post that. We don’t need any more wildfires in America, thank you very much.
The Space Launch System is the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built. It is a huge project, but it has had many setbacks. The budget for the rocket platform is completely out of control compared to original projections, and manufacturer Northrop Grumman has repeatedly fallen short of expectations and missed milestones. Unfortunately for NASA, they have already invested too much in the project to withdraw now, and while the date of the first test flight continues to be delayed, it appears that we will eventually see this bird fly.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, wearable devices, smartphones, and future technology. Most recently, Mike served as a technology editor at The Daily Dot and has been featured in USA Today, Time.com, and in many other print and web media. His love of reporting is second only to his addiction to games.
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