NASA might not repeat test of moon rocket to preserve it for launch later this year
Core stage can only ‘tank’ 9 times in its lifespan, outgoing NASA administrator says
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The core stage for the first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is seen in the B-2 Test Stand during a hot fire test Jan. 16, 2021, at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Credits: NASA Television (NASA 2021)
ORLANDO, Fla. – There is no timeline when, or if, NASA repeats a hot fire test of its mega rocket designed to return humans to the moon but agency leaders say they are still targeting later this year for its first launch from Kennedy Space Center.
Despite initial concerns, the core stage of the US space agency s new the rocket - which sports four RS-25 engines at its base - was undamaged by the test firing.