The Space Stuff thread

Paul Black said:

I did actually watch this live. Everything seemed to go better than expected!

NASA after the test said that they needed a minimum of 4 minutes of data. They got that and more since the test went over 7 minutes.

While watching the test I was concerned about the small fire at the top of the engine. After the test they said that was normal because the test was done at ground level. In normal flight the engines would be firing in the upper atmosphere where the level of oxygen would be very low. I think they mentioned that was a know concern after the last aborted test.

One thing missing on YouTube was the actual noise of the engines being fired. If you had been there it would have been a lot louder.

BTW, I live in Huntsville, Alabama where Marshall Space Flight Center is located. I have heard that in the 1060's they routinely tested Saturn rocket engines there. One time they tested all five engines for the first stage of the Saturn V rocket on a test stand. There were a lot of complaints and some broken windows in Huntsville after that.

When they started development for the Space Shuttle engines they moved most rocket engine testing to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Testing there is still managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

The Stennis Space Center continues to be used and is where the rocket testing is done for the SLS program.

elbmek said:

Whilst you were testing engine we were invaded, 6 years later, by the damned Normans!!

I was wondering 'bout that....
There was a lot of significant changes for both sides after the battle at Hastings.