Status of Space Shuttle External Tank, Solid Rocket Booster, and Main Engine

The Space Congress® Proceedings 1979 (16th) Space: The Best Is Yet To Come

Apr 1st, 8:00 AM

Robert E. Lindstrom Manager, Shuttle Projects Office, Marshal I Space Fl ight Center

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Scholarly Commons Citation Lindstrom, Robert E., "Status of Space Shuttle External Tank, Solid Rocket Booster, and Main Engine" (1979). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 4. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1979-16th/session-1/4

This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Space Congress® Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STATUS OF SPACE SHUTTLE EXTERNAL TANK SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER and MAIN ENGINE

Mr. Robert E. Lindstrom Manager, Shuttle Projects Office Marshal I Space Fl ight Center

ABSTRACT success. The Sol id Rocket Booster, whose recovery and reusability make the Space Shuttle economically The paper will cover the current status of three feasible, provides the additional major propulsion elements power necessary for the Space Transporta to boost the Shuttle tion off the launch pad towards System: the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), orbit. the External Tank (ET) and the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). Presented will be the Test and Manufactur ing experience in the last year, the Test and Manu EXTERNAL TANK facturing plans for the coming year and the current status of hardware to support the first manned or The External Tank is that bital fl ight. element of the Space Shuttle that carries the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants consumed by the Space Shuttle Main Engines. Illustrated INTRODUCTION in Figure 2 the ther mally insulated tank is 154.2 feet long and 27.5 feet in diameter, approximating the size of the The responsibility for developing, manufacturing first stage of the Saturn V. Loaded the tank and testing three of the four major elements of the weighs 1.6 million pounds and empty 75,000 pounds. Space Transportation System's Space Shuttle vehicle Basically the External Tank consists of three is assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center structures: the Liquid Oxygen Tank, the Liquid Hy (Figure 1). These elements are the Space Shuttle drogen Tank, connected by the Intertank, a short Main Engine, the External Tank, and the Solid hollow cylinder which also houses the instrumenta Rocket Booster. Together these three elements form tion. The thermal insulation is a nominal one- the Space Shuttle's major propulsion system provid inch-thick coating of polyurethane type foam. Be ing the power to place the Orbiter in earth orbit. sides preventing loss of the cryogenic propellants, Development of the Orbfter, which is the lander as the insulation also prevents ice from forming on well as the crew and payload carrying element of the tank after the propel lants are loaded. Ice the Space Shuttle, is under the cognizance of the formation would not only significantly Johnson Space Center. increase lift-off weight, but also in shedding would pose a hazard to the thermal protection system The Space Shuttle Main of the Engine, which represents the para I I el-mounted Orbiter. most significant technological advancement of the Space Shuttle Program, is a high performance, reus In addition to carrying the propellants, the Exter able engine with variable thrust. Three of these nal Tank is also the structural backbone of the engines, mounted in the Orbiter ! s aft fuselage, Space Shuttle, with the Orbiter and the Solid will power the Orbiter from launch to just short of Rocket Boosters attached to it in the launch con orbital insertion. The External Tank carries the figuration. At lift-off the tank absorbs propellants for the about 6.9 Space Shuttle Main Engines and million pounds of thrust. serves as the structural link for the other Shuttle elements. Since the tank is the Shuttle's only The External Tank's support systems include a pro expendable element, achieving the design unit pel I ant feed system to supply the propellants weight and cost is extremely critical to program through 17-inch diameter lines to the Orbiter

1-25 engines, a pressurization and vent system to to determine the interaction between the four major regulate the tank pressure and assure a minimum Shuttle elements during the various flight phases, impact area by inducing tumbling by the tank after beginning with launch, progressing through Solid separation, an environmental conditioning system to Rocket Motor burnout, and ending with the final regulate the temperature and humidity in the Inter- flight phase of the Orbiter and External Tank tank area primarily by purging the area with dry (Figure 5). gaseous nitrogen, and an electrical system to dis tribute power and instrumentation signals and to During the spring of 1978 the Liquid Hydrogen Tank provide lightning protection. Since the tank is Structural Test Article and supporting hardware, an the only expendable element of the Space Shuttle Intertank and Liquid Oxygen Tank Simulator were in all fluid controls and valves for engine opera stalled in the test stand (Figure 6), which is the tion, except the valves in the vent system are lo modified Saturn V First Stage Test Stand. The test cated in the Orbiter. program started during the summer and involved six different test conditions. The first two condi The prime contractor for the External Tank is tions involved the tank empty, the next three re Martin Marietta Aerospace at Marshall Space Flight quired the tank to be loaded with liquid hydrogen Center T s Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and the sixth again with the tank empty. The en LA. tire series has been just recently completed very satisfactorily with only minor problems of the type to be expected. Testing During the past year the major thrust of testing in The Liquid Oxygen Tank Structural Test Article and the External Tank Project has been in two areas: its support hardware are being used in two separate structural and qualification. The schedules for test series, the Modal Survey Test and the Struc these are shown in Figures 3 and 4. Steady prog tural Test. The objective of the Modal Survey ress has been made in qualifying the various com Test, the first series performed, is to determine ponents of the tank. In the main the actual compo the effect of vibrations on the tank loaded to var nent testing has been performed by the subcontrac ious levels. The tests were completed during the tors and vendors producing the items. While some fall with successful results (Figure 7). problems have been encountered, they have been rel atively minor and readily resolved. At the present Preparation for the structural test series has time about 90% of the qualification testing has nearly been completed, and the actual testing will been completed. begin in May. At this time no major problems are expected to devolve for this series. In the structural test area, more than satisfactory progress has been maintained. Because of its size the External Tank is being tested by major struc Manufacturing The fact that the External Tank is the only expend tures; that is, Liquid Oxygen Tank, Liquid Hydrogen able item in the Space Shuttle stack, played a ma Tank, and Intertank. The facilities being used to jor role in the design and development of the manu conduct the tests are located at the Marshall Space facturing process. Two aspects were paramount; Fl ight Center. General objectives are to confirm maintain unit cost as low as possible and structural analyses and to verify the structural first, relatively high production rate, design. second, allow a particularly when compared with previous programs. For example, during the Saturn V program about 15 The pace of the structural test program was set in fl ight tanks were manufactured over 1977 with the successful completion of the Inter- first stage years. During the next 12 years almost tank testing, which revealed only minor problems about five Tanks will be produced. which were quickly resolved. 500 External

By the end of the first quarter of 1978, the Liquid One of the prime methods for achieving the goals Oxygen Tank and Liquid Hydrogen Tank Structural was the development of a series of sophisticated Test Articles and supporting test equipment had ar tools and techniques as opposed to maintaining a rived at the Marshall Space Flight Center, and large highly skilled work force. As an example the preparation for the respective test programs begun. components for the Liquid Hydrogen Tank are assem During the same time period the External Tank for bled in a weld fixture that has been called one of the Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Test also ar the largest "lathe" type tools in the free world. rived at Marshall. This test program, successfully It is approximately 150 feet long and 40 feet in completed at the Marshal I Space Fl ight Center, was width. It also makes two circumferential welds at

1-26 the same time (Figure 8). The tools for producing External Tanks through Fiscal the Liquid Oxygen Year 1981 Is shown In Tank are equally sophisticated. Figure 10.

Another manufacturing technique developed to obtain Future Outlook low unit cost and high production rate is to During the remainder of 1979, the following major mechanically spray on the tank insulation rather activities are planned: than using the hand application methods of earlier a. programs. Two different types of insulation are Delivery of the first two flight External used with the External Tank. One is a spray-on Tanks to the Kennedy Space Center, foam insulation (SOFI), applied over the bare tank, b. Completion of the External Tank Structural Test which provides the basic thermal protection. The Program. other is an ablator material applied in specific c. Completion of the qualification test pro areas for additional protection against aerodynamic gram. heating and plume impingement from the separation d. Certification of the External Tank for flight, e. rockets and the Space Shuttle Main Engine. The ap- Initiation of fabrication and assembly of de pl ication process is different from previous pro velopment phase flight tanks. grams in that the tank skin and spray environment f. Issuances of contract authority to proceed on must be controlled within specific temperature and the fabrication and assembly of 27 operational Ex humidity limits. The large size of the facility ternal Tanks. required to perform this spray technique coupled g. Initiation of fabrication and assembly of the with the varying tank skin thickness posed a signi first operational flight tank. ficant engineering challenge. This has been met by providing humidity control for the spray area and passing heated air through the tank to maintain a SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER (SRB) constant temperature. During the application the tank is rotated in a vertical position as the The Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), in pairs, provide computer-controlled spray gun transverses a track primary first stage thrust for the Space Shuttle in the vertical wall of the spray facility. from launch until about two minutes into the f I ight. At this time the burned-out Boosters are separated Following the completion of the manufacturing of and lowered to the ocean by a parachute recovery test articles early in 1978 a smooth transition was system. Retrieved from the ocean the achieved into the fabrication of flight External boosters are returned to the launch site for Tanks. The weld and assembly of the major compo refurbishment and reuse. Achieving these last two nents for the first flight tank proceeded extremely mentioned features, recovery and reusability, Is a well (Figure 9), verifying the procedures and tech key program objective, since these will make the niques developed during the test article fabrica Space Shuttle economically feasible. tion phase. Not unexpectedly, however, application of the thermal protection system to this tank is The Booster, illustrated In Figure 11, Is 150 feet proceeding somewhat more slowly than projected in length and 146 inches in diameter. Operational since it was the first-time full-scale use of the lift-off weight of each Is abouT 1.3 million facility. The problems basically involve spray gun pounds, with a propel I ant weight slightly In excess operation and environmental control in the spray of 1.1 million pounds. The sea level thrust for cell. However, the basic causes were quickly iden each is about 2.65 million pounds. The Solid tified, and appropriate procedural changes and Rocket Booster is made up of six subsystems: facility modifications the were enacted correcting the sol id rocket motor, the structural anomalies. subsystem, the thrust vector control subsystem, the separation subsystem, the recovery subsystem, and the electri The major components for the External Tank for the cal subsystem. first Space Transportation System Launch have been completed, and the item is in final assembly. It The Solid Rocket Motor subsystem Is the primary will go into final checkout this month (April) and propulsive element providing thrust for ignition to be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in May. The burnout. It consists of a lined, Insulated, seg succeeding flight stages are in various phases of mented rocket motor case loaded with sol Id propel- assembly. Following manufacturing of the first six lant, an ignition system with electromechanical flight tanks, scheduled for development test safe and arm device, Initiators, and loaded Ig fI ights, fabrication of the operational fI ight niter; a movable nozzle; raceway bracketry; instru tanks will begin. The delivery schedule for mentation and the necessary integration hardware.

1-27 tion, powered flight, and separation. The Recovery All of the components and subsystems are physically system consists of the components necessary to suc interchangeable and rt ,, bie. and cessfully recover the Booster after burnout separation. It initiates severance of the nozzle subsystem provides the necessary The Structural extension, deployment of the drogue and main para support for the Shuttle vehicle on the structural chutes, power to the location aides, and severance transfers thrust loads to the Orbiter launch pad, of the main pcirachute at water impact. and External Tank, and provides housing, structural support, and bracketry needed for the recovery sys mo development, test and integration of tem, the electrical components, the separation The design, Booster is being approached uniquely by the tors, and the Thrust Vector Control components. the the Space Flight Center. With the exception The subsystem consists of the nose assembly; Marshall Sol id Rocket Motor, the Center is performing forward ordnance ring; the forward skirt, including of the integration and development of the subsystems the forward External Tank attach ring and attach the with the fabrication being accomplished struts; the aft skirt including the heat shield; in-house, various subcontractors. Development and test of and the systems tunnel and structure for mounting by So! id Rocket Motors is being performed by the the other subsystems 1 components. In addition, the Corporation, Wasatch Division, Brigham frustum floatation, weighing, hoisting and towing Thiokol are Utah. The development plan for the Motor is provisions, and structural thermal protection City, in Figure 12. prov ided. shown

the made to reduce the weight of the The Thrust Vector Control subsystem by moving An effort is being A very active effort is Sol ic Rocket Motor nozzle, provides pitch, roll, Sol id Rocket Booster. Or with the goal of reducing and yaw vehicle movements as directed by the presently being conducted in the point where 700 pounds of ad biter Command System. The subsystem, mounted Booster weight to weight will be available. thy aft skirt, consists of^two hydraulic power sup ditional payload plies and two servoactuators.

The Separation Subsystem is designed to ensure safe TestIng Ex significant progress has been serration of the Sold Rocket Boosters from the During the past year of programs for the entire Solid ternal Tank. The separation subsystem consists made in all test lo- than satisfactory progress a release system, sensors, and separation bolts Rocket Booster. More of the developmental static fir cateJ in the forward attach fitting and in each has been achieved In Rocket Motor, being conduc the? aft attach structs, and eight sol id booster ing tests of the Solid the corporate test site near serration motors, four mounted in the nose frustum ted by Thiokol at The Following the first static a» . four mounted externally on the aft skirt. Brigham City, Utah. im- and third static firings ail motors are located unsymmetricalIy, which firing in 1977, the second at in February and October PC s a small roll to the Solid Rocket Booster were successfully conducted 1978. The third firing represented a major mile serration. it stone in the motor development program because motor had been mated and the necessary hard was the first time the The Recovery subsystem provides Skirt and Thrust Booster final de tested with an SRB Aft Structural ware to control the Sol id Rocket devel The Vector Control System. The fourth and final scent velocity and attitude after separation. firing was successfully" conducted during includes parachutes, methods of sequenc opment subsystem 13). This thoroughly successful the parachutes, parachute separa February (Figure ing and deploying the repeatable performance location aids that help in test series demonstrated tion components, and basis for pro booster and of the motor and has provided the finding and retrieving the expended the ceeding with the manufacture of the motors for parachutes. first Space Transportation System Launch.

Tno Electrical subsystem for operational flights of Solid Rocket Motor static fir systems dedicated to two spe The second phase consists of two major by Thiokol at the Rocket Booster flight. ing tests, also being conducted cif *c portions of the Solid month un Brigham City test site, will begin this The Ascent system is operational from prelaunch firing of the first of three qual the Recovery system is operational (April) with the til separation; of this test se until Solid Rocket ification motors. The objective froin just prior to separation to of ries, which will be completed in September, Is Booster splashdown. The Ascent system consists the motor design and demonstrate performance components necessary to respond to Orbiter commands verify repeatablIity. for controlling Booster prelaunch functions, igni-

1-28 The SRB Recovery Subsystem Test program was also fracture toughness (with the required yield successfully completed during 1978. The Recovery strength) can be reproduced. Subsystem basically consists of a pilot, a drogue, and three main parachutes; location aids; and as Following completion of the production of the test sociated hardware. The total package weighs nearly articles, the manufacturing effort flowed into 6,000 pounds. The test program consisted of six flight hardware. Except for the Solid Rocket tests in which the recovery system was attached to Motor, all of the subsystems for the first Space a simulated Sol id Rocket Booster and dropped from Transportation System have been del ivered to the an altitude of over 17,000 feet. These tests were Kennedy Space Center. There, since the del ivery of conducted at the National Parachute Test Range, El the first flight subsystem in the fall of 1978, the Centro, California. Several sled tests were also Booster Assembly Contractor, United Space Boosters, performed successfully to verify the separation of Inc., have been conducting assembly and checkout. the" frustum from the Recovery Subsystem. The final Solid Rocket Motor segment will be ship ped to Kennedy in May to complete the del ivery of Rocket Structural tests of the Booster, initiated during the subsystems for the first flight Solid Boosters. the early part of 1978, are continuing successfully with completion expected by September 1979. The test series is being conducted at the Marshall Future Outlook Space Flight Center using the former Saturn IB Test During the remainder of 1979, the following major Stand which has been modified (Figure 14). To re activities are planned: duce cost and improve handling, the Structural Test a. Complete Solid Rocket Motor qualification Article is shorter than the flight article. Four f ir ings. of the seven segments which compose the motor por b. Manufacture and del iver to the Kennedy Space tion of the Booster are not present; however, this Center the Solid Rocket Motors for the first Space does not affect the test results. The general ob Transportation System launch. jectives of the tests are to verify structural de c. Complete Sol id Rocket Booster structural and sign and confirm structural analysis. To date the qualification tests. ascent loads testing have been completed success d. Complete assembly of the Boosters for the fully with data verifying that the desired struc first Space Transportation System launch and initi tural margins exist and indicating that no major ate assembly of the Boosters for the next two problem should be expected in the water impact launches. testing.

Qualification testing of the other Solid Rocket SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE Booster Subsystems is progressing satisfactorily. Typical hardware design and test fixture problems The Space Shuttle Main Engine Project (SSME) en have been experienced; however, these have been re compasses the design, manufacture and test of the solved and no Impedement is foreseen in the suc Space Shuttle Main Engine (Figure 15), a high per thrust. cessful conclusion of the qualification test pro formance reusable engine with variable Three of these engines, each developing a rated grams. thrust of 470,000 pounds, are located in the Shuttle Orbiter ! s aft fuselage and will power the Manufacturing Orbiter from launch to just short of orbital ^veloc- During the past year all of the Solid Rocket ity. The Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Booster's subassembly manufacturing efforts have SSME Project and has contracted development of the continued satisfactorily, with problems being en engine to the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell countered and resolved. An example is the problem International. of reproducible fracture toughness in the D6AC steel used to manufacture the Sol id Rocket Motor Testing case. It was a challenging problem since it is Development of the SSME has progressed signifi difficult to obtain In D6AC steel a high toughness cantly during the past year with extended engine concurrently with reasonable yield and ultimate operation at the rated thrust conditions. During strengths. The resolution was the development of a the past 12 months the engine development program double tempering process during the case heat has accumulated approximately 20,000 seconds of op treatment, which was achieved by Thiokol in con eration. The total accumulated engine operation junction with the case vendor. Case hardware can time is currently (February 28) 34, 743 seconds now be selectively tempered so that the desired with 10,400 seconds conducted at rated thrust con-

1-29 all liquid oxygen system engine compo result of this failure, dit ions (Figure 16). Several major fretting. and valves have been modified to preclude nent failures occurred however during the year and will be discussed. A significant highlight se a result of a Congressional request for a review milestone of the past year was the successful As Project development status, one of the more ries of tests at flight rated thrust conditions of the findings of the National Academy of conducted on Engines 2002 and 0005. Both engines significant and and Engineering was a recommendation to ac incorporated substantially the modifications Science the engine test stand initially planned in basic design planned for the Preliminary Flight tivate sus at Santa Susana. NASA Management con Certification and early flight engines. The the program in this recommendation, and the Project ini tained high performance and endurance demonstrated curred this activity In April 1978. This test on Engine 0005 was particularly impressive since tiated the now active, Is supporting the total test the test series was similar to that planned for stand, en Preliminary Flight Certification Program. This program. oper gine accumulated In excess of 5,000 seconds of major empha ation, requiring minimal component replacement, Relative to overall project schedules, dur delivery of the Main with 4,680 seconds at rated thrust, or above, sis is directed toward: 1) and for continued vehi ing a series of 13 engine tests. Disassembly Propulsion Test Article engines as Testing for the De inspection of the turbomachinery provided both cle testing, 2) Certification Evaluation (DDT&E) surance of the basic design integrity and insight sign, Development, Test & first flight engine into areas of further needed improvement. Subse flights, and 3) delivery of the was (KSC). quent to this test series, Engine 0005 testing set to the Kennedy Space Center sub extended to 12,000 seconds, and the engine was and up jected to extensive teardown disassembly The engines for the Main Propulsion Test are inspection. dated engines with a 100? rated power level capa of bility and will be used for the second series tests. This test program, using a fIIght-type areas of engine development receiving major Four External Tank, a simulated Orbiter mid-fuselage, during the past year due to prior failures emphasis and a flIght-welght aft fuselage with three Space deficiencies were: 1) the mechanical integrity or Shuttle Main Engines, Is being conducted, under the high pressure oxidizer turbopump rotor and on of Marshall management, to obtain verification data dynamic characteristics, 2) expected life related the Shuttle Main Propulsion system during actual failures of main injector oxi and cause of .prior The first series of four static firings life and endurance operation. dizer post elements, 3) cycle last July at the turbine was successfully completed limits of the high pressure fuel turbopump (Figure 17). of National Space Technology Laboratories blades, and 4) suction performance capability high pressure turbomachinery. Significant the DDT&E flights was begun made in each of these areas, and Certification testing for progress has been engine. Com have been demonstra with Engine 2004, a flight equivalent the first flight requirements of pletion of test series requires the accumulation ted. 13 5,000 seconds of operation and a minimum of tests. Included In this test series Is operation occurred during the past Three major test failures of the engine at 102? of rated thrust for over- oxygen fires and extensive 823 year resulting In liquid stress testing, and test durations extending to development engines. The of damage to three separate seconds during a single firing to simulate one a non-flight instrument in first failure involved the vehicle abort modes. Both of these test condi pressure oxidizer pump to corporated in the high tions have been previously demonstrated success displacement for bearing measure relative shaft fully on Engine 0005. Subsequent to successfully Since the Instrument was a test load verification. completing the certification duty cycle, critical did not reflect adversely on article the failure components will be disassembled and inspected prior failure was the result of for the design. The second to a planned second Certification duty cycle liquid oxygen heat ex inadvertent damage to the confidence. As added flight changer during a post manufacture modification. of a result of this failure, Inspection control operations have been strengthened Manufacturing similar rework assemblies have been manu will be proof tested after Eleven complete engine and a I I heat exchangers to other develop liquid oxygen side factured at this time In addition modification operations in the assem- by ment test components. Seven of the engine of the powerhead. The third failure was caused be bl ies were assigned to the development program, metallic fretting in the main oxidizer valve As a three were delivered for the main propulsion tween the flow liner and bellows assembly.

1-30 cluster test series and one engine is being readied for the Preliminary Flight Certification test se ries. Three additional deliverable engine assem blies are in final build at this time for delivery to the launch site in May for the first launch in November 1979.

The Project continues to place emphasis on engine weight control. With make-work changes now fore cast, it is expected that the Final Flight Certifi cation weight will exceed the specification weight by as much as 200 pounds or approximately 3?. Some of this weight could be recovered in subsequent years, or offset by some performance uprating, al though this Is not being addressed at this time.

Future Outlook Delivery of the first flight engine set to KSC is scheduled for May 15, 1979. Incremental engine de liveries after each acceptance test series and post test functional checkout are planned^ to be comple ted In May 1979. Figure 18 shows a photograph of the first flight engine in final engine assembly. The engine maintenance requirements have been re leased for incorporation with the Orbiter propul sion system documentation. Launch support plan ning has been completed for the Rocketdyne launch team and MSFC technical support at KSC and the MSFC Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC).

CONCLUSION

During the past year the Space Shuttle Projects un der the cognizance of the Marshall Space Flight Center have made satisfactory progress in testing and manufacturing. While there have been problems, they, have been basically the type to be expected at this point of a major space program. . These anomalies have undergone detailed examination, and their basic causes are understood. They are being rapidly resolved, and there is every reason to be lieve that the required tests will be successfully completed and fully operational hardware shipped to the Kennedy Space Center as scheduled to support the latest firing date for the first Space Trans portation System launch.

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| |

J J

Dl Dl

Q|N Q|N

SA41-1870 CO Firing

Static

Motor

Demonstration

Booster

Rocket

Solid

13.

Figure Figure 14. Solid Rocket Booster Structural Test

1-45

CHARACTERISTICS

15.

; ;

2.0

2,0

6,0

» »

-3..0

-4.0

-S.O

- -

-7,0

-8,0

-"9.0

-10.0

-11.0

»! »!

-13.0

Figure Figure

II II

2.0

:E :E

5.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

2.0 2.0 3,0

1.0 1.0 If

8/30/78.

NASA NASA

|NOV|DEC

TO TO

PROJECT PROJECT

UTILIZATION UTILIZATION

STANDS

SSME SSME

SEPT|OCT SEPT|OCT

EST EST

ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT

ADMINISTRATOR. ADMINISTRATOR.

JUL|AUG

REFERENCE: REFERENCE:

| |

JUN

MAY MAY

UTILIZA UTILIZA

STANDS

|MAR|APR

FORECAST

TEST TEST

FEB FEB

| |

3 3

EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE

OF OF

JAN JAN

16.

DEC

Figure Figure

DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT

NOV NOV

OCT OCT

SSME SSME

SEPT SEPT

JULJAUG

PROJECTED PROJECTED

| |

JUN JUN

I I

MAY MAY

80,000

TESTS TESTS

(SECONDS) (SECONDS)

AVERAGE AVERAGE

MONTH MONTH

NO. NO.

4 4

STANDS)

TEST

TEST TEST

EXPECTED EXPECTED

DURATION DURATION

PER PER

DURING DURING

PERIOD

(3 (3

PLANNED PLANNED SA51-4299 Figure 17. Main Propulsion Test Static Firing

1-48 CO

Figure 18. First Flight Engine