On June 28, the booster for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket was fired up for a major two-minute full-duration qualification ground test at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems’ test facilities in Promontory, Utah. Engineers will evaluate test data on the motor’s performance using cold propellant, the steering operation of its redesigned nozzle, and other operational data to help qualify the booster for flight. This is the last time the booster will be fired in a test environment before it’s used for the first uncrewed test flight of SLS with NASA’s Orion spacecraft, known as Exploration Mission-1, in late 2018. Also, SLS Test Hardware Arrives at Marshall, Juno Arrives at Jupiter July 4th, Test Lab Launched to Streamline Air Travel, Russian Docking System Tested on ISS, and NASA 2016 Agency Honor Award Distinguished Honorees.

TRANSCRIPT

Space Launch System Booster Test Fired

On June 28, the booster for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket was fired up for a major two-minute full-duration qualification ground test at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems’ test facilities in Promontory, Utah. Engineers will evaluate test data on the motor’s performance using cold propellant, the steering operation of its redesigned nozzle, and other operational data to help qualify the booster for flight. This is the last time the booster will be fired in a test environment before it’s used for the first uncrewed test flight of SLS with NASA’s Orion spacecraft, known as Exploration Mission-1, in late 2018.

SLS Test Hardware Arrives at Marshall

A key piece of SLS hardware ahead of that test flight arrived at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama to prepare for its part in a series of upcoming tests. The interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) is the liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen-based system that will give Orion the big, in-space push needed to fly beyond the moon before it returns to Earth. The prototype ICPS will be stacked on a test stand with other structural hardware that make up the upper portion of the SLS rocket, and subjected to forces similar to those experienced in flight. The testing is designed to ensure the structural integrity of the hardware is not compromised by those conditions.

Juno Arrives at Jupiter July 4^th

After a nearly five-year journey through space, NASA’s Juno spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter on July 4th. Juno will orbit the planet’s polar regions to help provide answers about Jupiter’s core, composition and magnetic fields, as well as new clues about the origins of our solar system. We’ll update the status of the mission on future episodes of This Week at NASA as details become available.

Test Lab Launched to Streamline Air Travel

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden was joined by representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), American Airlines, and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to celebrate the official launch of a new airspace technology demonstration laboratory, or (ATD-2). ATD-2 is part of a five-year test project to streamline the arrival and departure of aircraft, improve surface operations to increase safety and efficiency, and reduce fuel use in our nation’s aviation system. The project is tied to the Obama Administration’s NextGen initiative to create the air transportation system of the future.

Russian Docking System Tested on ISS

A Russian Progress cargo ship was used to test a newly installed manual docking system in the Russian segment of the International Space Station on July 1. The new system was used to manually re-dock the Progress, which had automatically undocked earlier, to verify the manual system could be used in the unlikely event of a malfunction with the automated rendezvous feature of either a Progress or a Soyuz spacecraft.

NASA 2016 Agency Honor Award Distinguished Honorees

A ceremony was held on June 28 at NASA’s Ames Research Center to recognize the 2016 Agency Honor Award Distinguished Honorees. Administrator Bolden presented these individuals with either NASA’s Distinguished Service or Distinguished Public Service Medals for their extraordinary and indelible contributions to the success of the agency and its missions.

And that’s what’s up this week @NASA.