NASA successfully completed a hot fire test of the RS-25 engine, identified as unit No. 10001. The procedure took place on October 21, 2026, at the Fred Haise Test Stand located at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
The engine operated for 500 seconds, which corresponds to the duration required for an SLS rocket launch. During the test, the engine reached a power level of 111 percent, matching the thrust necessary for future Artemis missions involving the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.
The primary goals of the test included evaluating flight components and validating a new thermal protection system designed for the engine nozzle. Although this specific unit is for development purposes, the data collected will support performance and reliability improvements.
The testing team comprised personnel from NASA, L3Harris Technologies, and Nova Space Solutions. Four RS-25 engines are utilized for each Artemis mission, providing a combined thrust of up to 2 million pounds to facilitate the launch of the SLS rocket.
