NASA’s latest hot-fire of RS-25 engine No. 20001 roared for the full 500-second launch profile, proving it can blast the Space Launch System and Orion toward the Moon.
Pushing to an eye-popping 111 percent power, the test generated 2 million pounds of thrust, marking the first full-duration run since the new-build engines were certified in 2024.
Moonbound RS-25 Engine Fired for 500 Seconds
NASA’s newest RS-25 rocket engine, numbered 20001, lit up the night sky on June 20 at the Fred Haise Test Stand inside the Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Engineers ran the engine for a full 500 seconds—exactly how long it will burn during an SLS (Space Launch System) launch that sends Artemis crews toward the Moon. The Artemis program aims to unlock fresh lunar science, spark new economic opportunities, and lay the groundwork for the first human journey to Mars.
2 Million Pounds of Thrust at 111% Power
A single SLS uses four RS-25 engines built by L3Harris Technologies (formerly Aerojet Rocketdyne). Together they can pack an incredible two million pounds of thrust. During this test, engine 20001 was pushed to 111 percent of its rated power, matching the muscle needed to lift the Orion spacecraft into orbit. It was the first full-duration “hot fire” since NASA certified its new batch of RS-25s in 2024.
Stennis Team Confirms Flight-Ready Performance
All RS-25 engines are tested and proven flightworthy at NASA Stennis. The test was conducted by a team of operators from NASA, L3Harris, and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations.
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1 Comment
I’ll hold my breath. Fried visited NASA and trained there, and all the scientists they met were only interested in their grant approvals, and had no desire to talk about engineering. So I’ll hold my breath on this, having watched Apollo 12 in my first grad classroom. Each and every NASA task since Apollo has been some PC drama. The shuttle was supposed to have retractable jets and use runways. But they cut that, and ruined it. We were supposed to be heading to Mars in the ’80s but instead we had a failed war on poverty, and somehow had to stop people from spreading AIDS. All the money for a century of progress in space was burned on useless projects on Earth. So, I’ll hold my breath as we send racially selected astronauts to the moon, to make up for the fact that the original members of Apollo 11 were White. Perfect