The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, has successfully completed the construction of two pivotal rocket test stands at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. These structures are set to play an essential role in NASA's ambitious mission to send astronauts to Mars by facilitating the testing of rocket propellant tanks for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Curtney Walters, the project engineer from the Mobile District overseeing test stands 4693 and 4697, remarked, "NASA is currently equipping the stands with specialized test equipment to accurately capture results once the fuel tank is ready." The construction of Test Stand 4693 commenced in May 2014, followed by Test Stand 4697 in September 2016, culminating in a $68.8 million project completed in December. NASA anticipates beginning testing in the upcoming spring.
This project represents a rare involvement for the Corps in such an endeavor, reminiscent of projects from the mid-20th century, according to Walters. Phil Hendrix, NASA's facilities construction project manager at Marshall, emphasized the Corps' critical contribution to this historic project. "The Corps assembled an exceptional team of architecture, engineering, and construction firms that delivered two unique structures for testing the core-stage fuel tanks of the SLS rocket," Hendrix stated.
The SLS is poised to become the most powerful rocket ever built, designed to transport astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit on missions around the moon and eventually to Mars. The test stands are engineered to accommodate the massive core-stage components and withstand extreme loads, with some reaching up to 9 million pounds.
NASA is actively developing the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket, with the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks for the Core Stage set to be tested on these newly constructed stands. Test Stand 4693 features dual towers rising 221 feet high, creating a new skyline for Marshall, while Test Stand 4697 stands at 70 feet.
Preparing for Future Missions
The SLS will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, powered by four RS-25 engines and two five-segment solid rocket boosters, generating a combined 8.4 million pounds of thrust. Although the initial flight will be uncrewed, it lays the groundwork for future manned missions, ultimately supporting NASA's preparation for journeys to Mars. The tanks will endure tremendous forces during launch and deep space flights.
Scott Chartier, a test engineer in Marshall's propulsion systems test branch, explained, "The forces the tank will experience in the test stand are as close as you can get on Earth to what the tank will experience on its way to space." The tanks will undergo up to 9 million pounds of compressive loads and 300,000 pounds of shear loads during testing. Chartier highlighted the magnitude of these tests, comparing them to those conducted for the Saturn rockets and space shuttle.
Beyond testing the SLS tank, NASA reports that the new test stands at Marshall are versatile enough to accommodate various vehicles and testing needs, including commercial rockets and other large spacecraft structures essential for deep space exploration.