The Pressure is On for Upper Part of SLS Rocket

A rigorous test series has begun for the upper part of NASA's Space Launch System rocket to ensure each structure can withstand the incredible stresses of launch. A 65-foot-tall test stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is being used for the test series, where two simulators and four qualification articles of the upper part of the SLS are stacked and being pushed, pulled and twisted by forces similar to those experienced in flight. Approximately 50 test cases are planned for the series. Data from the tests will be recorded through 1,900 instrumentation channels, measuring the strain on the test articles, temperature, deflection and other factors. The test data will be compared to computer models to verify the integrity of the hardware and ensure it can withstand the forces it will experience during flight. This also is a type of practice run for assembly operations before the rocket hardware is stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of launch.

Credit: NASA link https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html