Hats off to starting the weekend with another successful engine test at NASA's Stennis Space Center today! In auto racing parlance, NASA engineers put the “pedal to the metal” during a test of the Space Launch System (SLS) RS-25 rocket engine. During the 535-second test, operators ran the RS-25 through a series of power levels, including a period of firing at 109 percent of the engine’s rated power. Data collected on performance of the engine at the various power levels will aid in adapting the former space shuttle engines to the new SLS vehicle mission requirements, including development of an all-new engine controller and software. Four RS-25 engines will use the added performance to help power the SLS core stage during launch. The SLS is being developed to carry humans deeper into space than ever before, to such destinations as an asteroid and Mars . Credit: NASA #nasa #sls #slsfiredup #engines #smokeandfire #testing #progress #innovation #journeytomars #awesome #goodfriday