NASA Moves Shuttle Engines From Kennedy To Stennis

Jan. 12, 2012

Michael Braukus/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979/5241
michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov/j.d.harrington@nasa.gov

Jennifer Stanfield
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
jennifer.m.stanfield@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 12-018

NASA MOVES SHUTTLE ENGINES FROM KENNEDY TO STENNIS

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The relocation of the RS-25D space shuttle main
engine inventory from Kennedy Space Center's Engine Shop in Cape
Canaveral, Fla., is underway. The RS-25D flight engines, repurposed
for NASA's Space Launch System, are being moved to NASA's Stennis
Space Center in south Mississippi.

The Space Launch System (SLS) is a new heavy-lift launch vehicle that
will expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new
missions of exploration across the solar system. The Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is leading the design and
development of the SLS for NASA, including the engine testing
program. SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft, its crew, cargo,
equipment and science experiments to destinations in deep space.

"The relocation of RS-25D engine assets represents a significant cost
savings to the SLS Program by consolidating SLS engine assembly and
test operations at a single facility," said William Gerstenmaier,
NASA's Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations
Mission Directorate.

The RS-25Ds -- to be used for the SLS core stage -- will be stored at
Stennis until testing begins at a future date. Testing is already
under way on the J-2X engine, which is planned for use in the SLS
upper stage. Using the same fuel system -- liquid hydrogen and liquid
oxygen -- for both core and upper stages reduces costs by leveraging
the existing knowledge base, skills, infrastructure and personnel.

"This enables the sharing of personnel, resources and practices across
all engine projects, allows flexibility and responsiveness to the SLS
program, and it is more affordable," said Johnny Heflin, RS-25D core
stage engine lead in the SLS Liquid Engines Office at Marshall. "It
also frees up the space, allowing Kennedy to move forward relative to
commercial customers."

The 15 RS-25D engines at Kennedy are being transported on the 700-mile
journey using existing transportation and processing procedures that
were used to move engines between Kennedy and Stennis during the
Space Shuttle Program. They will be relocated one at time by truck.
Built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, Calif. the RS-25D
engine powered NASA's space shuttle program with 100 percent mission
success.

For more information about SLS, visit:

www.nasa.gov/sls

-end-

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