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posted by janrinok on Tuesday January 18 2022, @01:08AM   Printer-friendly
from the just-wait-(some-more) dept.

SLS: Nasa fixes glitchy megarocket equipment ahead of key test:

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been preparing the giant Space Launch System (SLS) for its maiden flight, set for March.

Last month, it identified a glitch with an onboard engine controller. But the component has now been replaced and all four engine controllers performed well in tests last week. They act as the "brains" for each of the powerful RS-25 engines, which help propel the SLS into orbit, communicating with the rocket to provide precision control of the engine and diagnose any problems.

But last week, all the controllers were powered up and performed as expected while engineers put them through their paces in further testing.

The SLS is housed in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. When the Orion spacecraft is stacked on top, the full system stands 98m (322ft) high - taller than the Statue of Liberty. This version of the SLS will generate a whopping 8,800,000lb (39.1meganewtons) of thrust.


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  • (Score: 2) by jb on Tuesday January 18 2022, @02:32AM (1 child)

    by jb (338) on Tuesday January 18 2022, @02:32AM (#1213518)

    Time was when, in the exact same context, SLS stood for "soft landing system"...

    • (Score: 2) by r1348 on Tuesday January 18 2022, @05:46PM

      by r1348 (5988) on Tuesday January 18 2022, @05:46PM (#1213615)

      If it ever lands, it won't be soft...

  • (Score: 2) by Frosty Piss on Tuesday January 18 2022, @02:33AM (5 children)

    by Frosty Piss (4971) on Tuesday January 18 2022, @02:33AM (#1213519)

    Is Boeing involved? I’ll get the brats and beer and popcorn ready for this launch!

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday January 18 2022, @03:50AM (4 children)

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday January 18 2022, @03:50AM (#1213526) Journal

      How many test flights are they going to do before putting people on one? 2?

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      • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Tuesday January 18 2022, @06:05AM (2 children)

        by mhajicek (51) on Tuesday January 18 2022, @06:05AM (#1213537)

        Zero. Each SLS flight will be a maiden voyage.

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        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 18 2022, @12:16PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 18 2022, @12:16PM (#1213562)

          quiet the expense for a bonfire in the sky ...

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 18 2022, @11:52PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 18 2022, @11:52PM (#1213715)

          That's true for everybody but SpaceX right now. IIRC only Rocket Lab and Sierra Space are working on reusable vehicles right now. (Blue Origin will get credit when credit is due.)

      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 19 2022, @12:02AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 19 2022, @12:02AM (#1213718)

        There will only be one test flight before manned operations start since "NASA owned" vehicles are exempt from the safety protocols anybody else is required to meet, and it still isn't an all-up test. The Orion pod has never had a working life support system installed, and won't until they actually have a crew on board going to the moon. That's still one better than the Shuttle, which was manned right from the start, even for pre-launch atmospheric testing, but even it had much stricter quality control than this dumpster fire. There is so much wrong with the Artemis program, and all in the name of greed. I can only hope that it won't kill anyone.

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