Stennis Space Center
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The John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) is a
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
rocket testing facility in
Hancock County, Mississippi Hancock County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Mississippi and is named for Founding Father John Hancock. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,929. Its county seat is Bay St. Louis. Hancock County is part of the Gulfp ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, on the banks of the
Pearl River The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-a ...
at the
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
–
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
border. , it is NASA's largest
rocket engine test facility A rocket engine test facility is a location where rocket engines may be tested on the ground, under controlled conditions. A ground test program is generally required before the engine is certified for flight. Ground testing is very inexpensive i ...
. There are over 50 local, state, national, international, private, and public companies and agencies using SSC for their rocket testing facilities.


History

The initial requirements for NASA's proposed rocket testing facility required the site to be located between the rockets' manufacturing facility at
Michoud Assembly Facility The Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) is an manufacturing complex owned by NASA in New Orleans East, a district within New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. Organizationally it is part of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and is currentl ...
in eastern
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, and the launch facility at the
Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...
in Florida. Also, the site required barge access as the rocket motors to be tested for Apollo were too large for overland transport. Additionally, the Apollo motors were too loud to be tested at
Marshall Space Flight Center The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), located in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (Huntsville postal address), is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. As the largest NASA center, MSFC's first ...
's existing test stands near
Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...
. A more isolated site was needed. After an exhaustive site selection process that included reviews of other coastal locations including
Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...
in Florida plus islands in both the Caribbean and the Pacific, NASA announced formation of the Mississippi Test Facility (now known as Stennis Space Center) on Oct. 25, 1961, for testing engines for the Apollo Program. A high-terrace area bordering the East Pearl River in Hancock County, Miss., was selected for its location. NASA entrusted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the difficult task to procure each land parcel either by directly purchasing the land or through acquisition of a perpetual easement.NASA.gov
/ref> The selected area was thinly populated and met all other requirements; however before construction began, five small communities (Gainesville, Logtown, Napoleon, Santa Rosa, and Westonia), plus the northern portion of a sixth ( Pearlington), and a combined population of 700 families had to be completely relocated off the facility. The effort acquired more than 3,200 parcels of privately owned land – 786 residences, 16 churches, 19 stores, three schools and a wide assortment of commercial buildings, including nightclubs and community centers. Remnants of the communities, including city streets and a one-room school house, still exist within the facility. The site was selected on October 25, 1961, on the Mississippi Test Facility or Pearl River Site. On December 18, 1961, NASA officially designated the facility as NASA Mississippi Test Operations. The test area (officially known as the Fee Area) is surrounded by a 125,000 acre (506 km2) acoustical
buffer zone A buffer zone is a neutral zonal area that lies between two or more bodies of land, usually pertaining to countries. Depending on the type of buffer zone, it may serve to separate regions or conjoin them. Common types of buffer zones are demil ...
. The facility's large concrete and metal rocket propulsion test stands were originally used to test-fire the first and second stages of the
Saturn V Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, with multistage rocket, three stages, and powered with liquid-propellant r ...
rockets. The facility was renamed again to Mississippi Test Facility on July 1, 1965, became a part of the
Marshall Space Flight Center The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), located in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (Huntsville postal address), is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. As the largest NASA center, MSFC's first ...
. Starting in 1971, all
Space Shuttle Main Engine The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, also known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on NASA's Space Shuttle and is currently used on the Space Launch System (SLS). Designed and manufacture ...
s were flight-certified at Stennis. On June 14, 1974, the site was renamed National Space Technology Laboratories, a name that continued until May 20, 1988, when it was renamed for Mississippi senator and space program supporter John C. Stennis. With the end of the Apollo and Shuttle programs, use of the base decreased, with economic impact to the surrounding communities. Over the years other government organizations and commercial entities have moved to and left from the facility, in the balance providing a major economic benefit to the communities.


Rocket propulsion test complex

The Rocket Propulsion Test Complex is a rocket testing complex which was built in 1965 as a component of the John C. Stennis Space Center. The Rocket Propulsion Test Complex played an important role in the development of the
Saturn V Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, with multistage rocket, three stages, and powered with liquid-propellant r ...
rocket. The A-1, A-2 and B-1/B-2 test stands were declared a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1985. and   The NASA Engineering & Science Directorate (ESD) at SSC operates and maintains SSC's rocket test stands.


A-1/A-2 Test stand

The smaller two of the original three test stands at Stennis Space Center, the A-1 and A-2 stands were built to test and flight-certify the second stage of the
Saturn V Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, with multistage rocket, three stages, and powered with liquid-propellant r ...
, the S-II (pronounced "ess two"), the launch vehicle for the Apollo program. The two stands are similar steel and concrete structures are roughly tall, and capable of withstanding thrust loads of more than 1 million pounds and temperature of up to . Each test stand can provide
Liquid Hydrogen Liquid hydrogen (LH2 or LH2) is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form. To exist as a liquid, H2 must be cooled below its critical point of 33  K. However, for it to be in a fully li ...
(LH2) and
liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen. It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an applica ...
(LOX) in addition to support fluids, gaseous
helium Helium (from el, ἥλιος, helios, lit=sun) is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. ...
(GHe), gaseous
hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
(GH2) and gaseous
nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
(GN2) as
purge In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another organization, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertak ...
or pressurizing gasses. Construction began in 1963 and was finished in 1966. The A Test Complex also includes a Test Control Center, observation bunkers, and various technical and support systems.


1960s

On 23 April 1966 workmen at the A-2 test stand successfully captive-fired for 15 seconds the S-II-T, Structural and Dynamic Test Vehicle for the Saturn V second stage, in an all-systems test. This was the first test of a flight-weight S-II stage. The stage, largest and most powerful liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen stage known, developed one million pounds of thrust from its five
Rocketdyne J-2 The J-2 is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine used on NASA's Saturn IB and Saturn V launch vehicles. Built in the U.S. by Rocketdyne, the J-2 burned cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants, with each engine producin ...
engines. This test also marked the first operational use of the A-2 stand. The first full-duration firing of the S-II flight stage occurred 20 May 1966 when S-II-T test-fired on the A-2 test stand for 354.5 seconds. LOX cutoff sensors initiated cutoff automatically. The firing passed all major test objectives with the exception of the propellant utilization system. This was the fourth static firing of the S-II-T. The stage developed one million pounds of thrust from its five hydrogen-oxygen-powered J-2 engines.MSFC Saturn V Prog. Off., Saturn V QPR, Apr. 1-June 30, 1966, p. 19.


S-II-T rupture

A static test version of the Saturn V second stage S-II-T ruptured during pressure tests at SSC on 28 May 1966, and five North American Aviation technicians monitoring the test received minor injuries. The accident occurred when the hydrogen fuel tank failed under pressure. S-II-T, which had five hydrogen-oxygen J-2 engines capable of generating one million pounds of thrust, had been tested May 25 in ground firing but stopped firing after 195 seconds when a hydrogen link leak caused automatic cutoff. At time of the explosion, technicians were trying to determine cause for the hydrogen leak. No hydrogen was in the tank when the explosion occurred. Under the direction of MSFC, a Board of Inquiry headed by Dr. Kurt H. Debus, Director of Kennedy Space Center, convened on the night of May 28. Immediate investigation revealed that the second shift crew, not knowing that the liquid hydrogen pressure sensors and switches had been disconnected, had attempted to pressurize the tank. Believing that a liquid hydrogen vent valve was leaking, the technicians closed the facility by blocking valves. This had caused the vehicle tank to become over-pressurized and burst. On 30 May 1966 the board released its findings after two days of inquiry. The fuel tank of the S-II stage had been pressurized beyond design limits. There was a need for tighter controls over MTF test procedure. Following the destruction of S-II-T, NASA extended the S-II battleship program until July 1967. S-II-1, the first flight S-II stage scheduled for static firing at MTF, left Seal Beach on July 31, 1966. The first flight model (S-II-1) of the Saturn V vehicle's second stage arrived August 13, 1966 at MTF completing its 4,000-mile voyage from Seal Beach. Workmen immediately moved the stage into the S-II stage service and checkout building for inspection and preparation for static firing. At MTF on December 1, 1966, North American Aviation conducted a successful 384-second captive firing of five J-2 engines, the first flight hydrogen-fueled engines, developing a total one million pounds of thrust. During the test, number 2 and 4 engine SLAM arms did not drop, resulting in the successful gimballing of engines 1 and 3 only. The test included the recording of about 800 measurements of the stage's performance, including propellant tank temperatures, engine temperatures, propellant flow rates, and vibrations. On December 30, 1966, MSFC technicians at the MTF test stand conducted a static firing of the first flight version of the Saturn V second stage, S-II-1. This second test firing, like an earlier firing, lasted more than six minutes.


1967

On January 11, 1967, initial post-static checkout of the S-II-1 stage ended at MTF. on January 27, 1967, the S-II-2 stage left Seal Beach, California, to pass through the Panama Canal and on to MTF. After its journey lasting 16 days, the S-II would arrive at MTF for two static tests. The S-II-2 stage arrived on dock at MTF on February 11, 1967. The S-II-2 stage, part of the second Saturn V vehicle (AS-502) scheduled for launch from KSC late in 1967, was scheduled for testing at MTF late in March 1967.MTF, Historical Report, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1967, (draft) On February 17, 1967, the first full-duration test of a cluster of uprated J-2 engines, S-II battleship test No. 041, lasted 360 seconds. On February 25, 1967, workmen at MTF completed construction of the S-II A-1 test stand, and the Corps of Engineers accepted beneficial occupancy with exceptions. On March 17, 1967, technicians fired the S-II battleship stage for a mainstage duration of 29 seconds. On March 31, failure of a prevalve to close caused program officials at MTF to scrub the first attempt to static fire the S-II-2 stage. Battleship testing of the S-II battleship test stage equipped with five uprated J-2 engines ended in late March 1967 with a full-duration test of approximately 360 seconds mainstage operation.


Summary

These two test stands tested and flight-certified S-II stages and J-2 engines until the end of the Apollo program in the early 1970s.


1970s

It was announced in 1971 that the center would be performing tests on the engines for the new
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
program (called the
SSME The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, also known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on NASA's Space Shuttle and is currently used on the Space Launch System (SLS). Designed and manufacture ...
). The A-1 and A-2 test stands, originally designed to accommodate the physically much larger S-II J-2 engines, were modified to accept the smaller SSME, and testing officially began on May 19, 1975, when the first such engine was tested on the A-1 stand. The center continued to test engines for the duration of the shuttle program, on the A-1 and A-2 stands with the final scheduled test occurred on July 29, 2009, on the A-2 stand.


2010s

As the shuttle program is phased out, the A-1 and A-2 test stands are seeing new use testing the next generation of rocket engines, including the
J-2X The J-2X is a liquid-fueled cryogenic rocket engine that was planned for use on the Ares rockets of NASA's Constellation program, and later the Space Launch System. Built in the United States by Aerojet Rocketdyne (formerly, Pratt & Whitney Rocket ...
engine designed to power the SLS upper stage, with the first such test occurring on December 18, 2007. Stennis tested Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 rocket engines for Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., which partnered with NASA to provide commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. Orbital's maiden flight to the space station launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia September 18, 2013. Orbital's Antares rocket was powered by a pair of AJ26 engines.


B-1/B-2 Test stand

The B-1/B-2 test stand is a dual-position, vertical, static-firing stand supporting a maximum dynamic load of 11M lbf. It was originally built in the 1960s to simultaneously test the five F-1 engines of a complete Saturn-V S1-C first stage from 1967 to 1970. During the shuttle era it was modified to test the
Space Shuttle Main Engine The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, also known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on NASA's Space Shuttle and is currently used on the Space Launch System (SLS). Designed and manufacture ...
(SSME). Stennis now leases the B-1 test position to
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) was an American company that designed and produced rocket engines that use liquid rocket propellants, liquid propellants. It was a division of Pratt & Whitney, a fully owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corpo ...
for testing of
RS-68 The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 (Rocket System 68) is a liquid-fuel rocket engine that uses liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as propellants in a gas-generator power cycle. It is the largest hydrogen-fueled rocket engine ever flown. I ...
engines for the
Delta IV Delta IV is a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta (rocket family), Delta rocket family introduced in the early 2000s. Originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space and Security division for the National Security Space Launch, ...
launch vehicle. NASA has prepared the B-2 test position to test the core stage of NASA's
Space Launch System The Space Launch System (SLS) is an American super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle developed by NASA. As of 2022, SLS has the highest payload capacity of any rocket in operational service, as well as the greatest liftoff thrust of any r ...
(SLS), which it first did in early 2021. The SLS core stage, with four RS-25D rocket engines, was installed on the stand for propellant fill and drain testing and two hot-fire tests. On 17 October 1966 MSFC shipped its S-IC all-system test booster, S-IC-T, to SSC for use in checkout of a static test stand and for use in static firings. Workmen loaded the huge booster aboard the barge Poseidon for the 1,000-mile river journey. Six days later the S-IC-T reached SSC. All future firings would be accomplished at the B-2 stand at MTF. An all-systems test version of Apollo/Saturn V first stage, S-IC-T, went into the B-2 test stand at the Mississippi Test Facility on December 17, 1966. Stage electrical and mechanical hook-up to the test stand began immediately. Static firing would occur in early 1967 to demonstrate the facility checkout system.


1967

On 13 February 1967 Corps of Engineers personnel completed construction of the S-IC B-2 test stand at MTF. Following an extensive systems, subsystems, and total integrated systems checkout of the B-2 test stand at MTF on March 3, 1967, workmen successfully fired the S-IC battleship/all-systems stage (S-IC-T) for 15 seconds. This S-IC-T test, the first MTF S-IC firing, proved the total compatibility of stage, mechanical support equipment, and S-IC test facilities. A second S-IC-T firing lasted for 60 seconds on March 17, 1967. This firing validated the flame-bucket-water-flow pattern of the B-2 test stand and ended the facilities checkout test series at MTF. Boeing personnel removed the S-IC-T from test stand B-2 at MTF on March 24, 1967, following post-static checkout, test stand refurbishment, and facilities modification.


A-3 Test stand

In August 2007, NASA began construction of the A-3 test stand at SSC. The A-3 stand was to be used for testing
J-2X The J-2X is a liquid-fueled cryogenic rocket engine that was planned for use on the Ares rockets of NASA's Constellation program, and later the Space Launch System. Built in the United States by Aerojet Rocketdyne (formerly, Pratt & Whitney Rocket ...
engines under vacuum conditions simulating high altitude operation. A-3 will also be operable as a sea-level test facility. However, because the
Constellation Program The Constellation program (abbreviated CxP) was a crewed spaceflight program developed by NASA, the space agency of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. The major goals of the program were "completion of the International Space Station" and a " ...
was cancelled in 2010, the stand is expected to be unused after its completion. The A-3 stand may however, be able to be refurnished to test a new mission when needed. In 2014, journalists writing for
Bloomberg News Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg Televi ...
and the
Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...
criticized the continued construction work on the $350 million test stand, and characterized it as a wasteful earmark by Mississippi U.S. senator Roger F. Wicker. American-New Zealand launch service provider
Rocket Lab Rocket Lab is a public American aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider, with a New Zealand subsidiary. The company operates lightweight Electron orbital rockets, which provide dedicated launches for small satellites. Rocket Lab also ...
intends to use the A-3 stand to develop and test their
Archimedes Archimedes of Syracuse (;; ) was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor from the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists ...
reusable rocket engine.


E Test stand complex

In the 1990s, a new test complex named "E" was constructed to test a variety of new small engine and single/multiple components and concepts. The E test stand complex consists of four distinct test stands


E1 Test stand


= History

= In 2012,
Blue Origin Blue Origin, LLC is an American private spaceflight, privately funded aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company headquartered in Kent, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, the founder and executive chairman of Am ...
tested the thrust chamber assembly at the E-1 test cell for its new thrust
BE-3 The BE-3 (''Blue Engine 3'') is a LH2/LOX rocket engine developed by Blue Origin. The engine began development in the early 2010s, and completed acceptance testing in early 2015. The engine is being used on the New Shepard suborbital rocket, ...
liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen rocket engine. As part of Blue's Reusable Booster System (RBS), the engines are designed eventually to launch the biconic-shaped Space Vehicle the company is developing. On 22 May 2014, an AJ26 rocket engine under test on the Stennis E-1 test stand, for a future
Orbital Sciences Orbital Sciences Corporation (commonly referred to as Orbital) was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture, and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other governmen ...
Antares Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has the Bayer designation α Scorpii, which is Latinised to Alpha Scorpii. Often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion", Antares is flanked by σ Scorpii and τ S ...
launch, failed and caused major damage to the E-1 test stand. As of 10 June, neither NASA, Orbital, nor
Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne is an American manufacturer of rocket, Hypersonic flight, hypersonic, and electric propulsive systems for space, defense, civil and commercial applications. Headquartered in Sacramento, California, the company is owned by Aeroj ...
have released any additional information on the extent of the damage, nor time frame when the three test cells in the E-1 test stand will return to operational status. As of early June 2014, the E-1 test stand was non-operational pending the completion of an investigation into a rocket engine failure on the test stand on 22 May 2014. In June 2015,
Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne is an American manufacturer of rocket, Hypersonic flight, hypersonic, and electric propulsive systems for space, defense, civil and commercial applications. Headquartered in Sacramento, California, the company is owned by Aeroj ...
signed a contract with NASA to upgrade the E-1 test stand so that the "multi-element pre-burner and main injector" of the AR-1 rocket engine could be tested there, with a goal of first flight of the new AR-1 engine after 2019.


= Description

= The stand is composed of three individual test "cells": :*E1 Cell 1 can handle liquid-propellant and hybrid based test articles up to of thrust in a horizontal position. :*E1 Cells 2 and 3 are designed to support LOX and LH2 turbopump assemblies for testing with high-pressure propellant feeds.


E2 Test stand

The E2 test facility at Stennis has multiple test cells that support three separate test stands (Cell 1 and Cell 2), for testing horizontally-mounted engines and for vertically mounted vehicle stages and/or engines. Cell 1 can support engines with up to of thrust while Cell 2 can support vehicle stages with up to of thrust. The facility can provide liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen, liquid hydrogen,
liquid methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Eart ...
, rocket-grade kerosene (RP1), H2O, gaseous hydrogen, "hot" gaseous hydrogen, gaseous oxygen and gaseous nitrogen. E2 Cell 1, originally known as the High Heat Flux Facility (HHFF), was constructed in 1993 to support materials development for the
National Aerospace Plane The Rockwell X-30 was an advanced technology demonstrator project for the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), part of a United States project to create a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spacecraft and passenger spaceliner. Started in 1986, it was can ...
(NASP). The E2 test stand was modified after 2013 to support
liquid methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Eart ...
engine testing, with funds being provided by
SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and a satellite communications corporation headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the stated goal of ...
, the
Mississippi Development Authority Momentum Mississippi is a public–private partnership that aims to develop the economy and increase employment levels in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It was created in 2004 by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to implement recommendations of ...
( using funding from state bond issues), and NASA (up to ). , the SpaceX funding commitment to the methane modification project has not yet been disclosed, as the
contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
has not yet been finalized and executed. The methane modifications will become a permanent part of the Stennis test infrastructure and will be available to other users of the test facility after the SpaceX facility lease is completed. , the most recent test completed on the E2 test stand had been a 2012 NASA test of chemical
steam generator A Steam generator is a device used to boil water to create steam. More specifically, it may refer to: *Boiler (steam generator), a closed vessel in which water is heated under pressure *Monotube steam generator *Supercritical steam generator or Ben ...
s. Beginning in 2014,
SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and a satellite communications corporation headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the stated goal of ...
conducted component tests of their liquid methane/liquid oxygen
Raptor Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to: Animals The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons. * Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...
rocket engine on the E2 test stand. This testing was limited to components of the Raptor engine, since the test stand is not large enough to test the full Raptor engine, which is rated to generate more than vacuum thrust. SpaceX completed a "round of main injector testing in late 2014," and a "full-power test of the oxygen
preburner The staged combustion cycle (sometimes known as topping cycle, preburner cycle, or closed cycle) is a power cycle of a bipropellant rocket engine. In the staged combustion cycle, propellant flows through multiple combustion chambers, and is th ...
component" for Raptor by June 2015.


E3 Test stand

The E3 test stand consists of two test cells for component and pilot scale combustion device testing: *E3 Cell 1 can support devices up to thrust in a horizontal position. Propellant supports includes LOX or gaseous oxygen/hydrocarbon, gaseous oxygen/gaseous hydrogen and
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
. *E3 Cell 2 can support devices up to thrust in a vertical position. Propellent configurations are similar to E3 Cell 1 with the addition of
hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3%†...
based devices. A series of tests conducted in the late 1990s eventually led to the commercialization of
hybrid rocket A hybrid-propellant rocket is a rocket with a rocket motor that uses rocket propellants in two different phases: one solid and the other either gas or liquid. The hybrid rocket concept can be traced back to the early 1930s. Hybrid rockets avo ...
motors. Test firing an American Rocket Company (AMROC) hybrid rocket motor at NASA's Stennis Space Center in 1994.


E4 Test stand

The E4 test stand consists of four 32 foot tall concrete-walled cells and an associated concrete foundation; a 1,344 square foot hardened and conditioned Signal Conditioning Building; a 12,825 square foot high bay with 10 ton bridge crane, shop area with 1 ton bridge crane, and a 7,000 square foot blast hardened Test Control Center; and two 1,400 square foot raised-floor control rooms. The site also includes underground deluge water piping; underground power, data, and control duct banks; and potable water. The E4 hard stand system was designed to accommodate up to 500,000 pounds-force (2,224 kN) engines and powerpack systems testing in a horizontal configuration. The E4 test stand was proposed in the year 2000 to be located near the H1 test stand.


H-1 Test stand

In 2001 the Pentagon's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization proposed construction of a $140 million facility at Stennis H-1 test stand to test its proposed Space-Based Laser (SBL) to begin in the first quarter of fiscal year 2002. The facility was to be used to evaluate beam quality, efficiency, and power levels for a prototype megawatt-class hydrogen fluoride laser. In 2007, British manufacturer
Rolls-Royce plc Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for ...
has been operating an outdoor aero-engine test facility built on the old H1 test area. Rolls-Royce constructed the facility due to noise pollution concerns at its UK testing facility at
Hucknall Airfield Hucknall Aerodrome was a former general aviation and RAF aerodrome located north northwest of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England and west of Hucknall town. The aerodrome had been operated by the Merlin Flying Club since 1971, and then by R ...
near its headquarters in
Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
. In 2013 a second test stand was opened by Rolls-Royce.


Gallery

File:Space Shuttle Main Engine test on A-1 in Stennis Space Center.jpg, Shuttle main engine test in the A-1 Test Stand. File:Building a Test Stand.jpg, Construction of the A-2 Test Stand. File:Stennis A3 test stand construction.jpg, A-3 test stand under construction in March 2011. File:Close-up of SSME (94-engine).jpeg, Test firing of a
Space Shuttle Main Engine The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, also known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on NASA's Space Shuttle and is currently used on the Space Launch System (SLS). Designed and manufacture ...
in the A-1 Test Stand. File:Liquid O2 Tank A-3 Test Stand Stennis Space Center.jpg, Installation of a 35,000-gallon
Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen. It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an applica ...
tank atop the A-3 Test Stand. File:Stennis Headquarters.jpg, NASA's Stennis Headquarters


Tenant facilities

In 2005, the center was home to over 30 government agencies and private companies. By far the largest of these were elements of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
with some 3,500 personnel, which was far larger than the NASA civil servant contingent. Some of the prominent resident agencies include:


US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

* The
National Data Buoy Center The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS). NDBC designs, develops, operates, and maintains a network of data collecting buoys and coastal statio ...
(NDBC) is a part of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
's (NOAA)
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
(NWS). NDBC designs, develops, operates, and maintains a network of data collecting
buoys A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. Types Navigational buoys * Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...
and coastal stations. *
National Centers for Environmental Information The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), an agency of the United States government, manages one of the world's largest archives of atmospheric, coastal, geophysical, and oceanic data, containing information that ranges from th ...
*
National Marine Fisheries Service The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), informally known as NOAA Fisheries, is a United States federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for the stew ...
, Southeast Region, Field Office Stennis Space Center *
Office of Ocean Exploration and Research The Office of Ocean Exploration Research (OER) is a division of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is run under the auspices of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). The Office facilitat ...


US Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, an ...

* The
US Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, an ...
Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility


United States Navy

* The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM) or NMOC, serves as the operational arm of the Naval Oceanography Program. Headquartered at the SSC, NMOC is a third echelon command reporting to Naval Information Dominance Forces (NAVIDFOR), previously
United States Fleet Forces Command The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...
(USFLTFORCOM). * A branch of the
Naval Research Laboratory The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. It was founded in 1923 and conducts basic scientific research, applied research, technological ...
* The
Naval Oceanographic Office The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), located at John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi, comprises approximately 1,000 civilian, military and contract personnel responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all ...
(NAVOCEANO) comprises approximately 1,000 civilian, military and contract personnel responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements within the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
. * The Department of the Navy, Office of Civilian Human Resources, Stennis Operations Center * Navy Special Boat Team 22 and NAVSCIATTS (Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School).


United States Coast Guard

*
Port Security Unit United States Coast Guard Port Security Units are deployable specialized units organized for sustained force protection operations. They can deploy within 96 hours and establish operations within 24 hours of arrival. PSUs conduct OCONUS port secur ...
308


University

*
Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...
** High Performance Computing Collaboratory **Geosystems Research Institute **
Northern Gulf Institute The Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Institute started in October 2006. It is one of 20 NOAA Cooperative Institutes (CIs). The NGI is a partnership of six academic institutions ...
*
The University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
**High Performance Visualization Center *
Department of Marine Science


Commercial

*
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
Outdoor Engine Testing Centre *
United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance (ULA), legally United Launch Alliance, LLC, is an American spacecraft launch service provider that manufactures and operates a number of rocket vehicles that are capable of launching spacecraft into orbits around Earth, a ...
engine testing * The
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
Mississippi Space and Technology Center


Former tenant organizations

*
Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant The Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant was a government-owned, contractor-operated facility in Hancock County, Mississippi that was dedicated on March 31, 1983. Construction in the northern part of the John C. Stennis Space Center facility bega ...


INFINITY Science Center

The INFINITY Science Center is a non-profit museum that hosts the
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
visitor center for John C. Stennis Space Center. The facility is located adjacent to the Mississippi Welcome Center near the MS/ LA border. The themes of the center's interactive exhibits include Mississippi Natural History, NASA, space, planets, stars, weather, Earth science, space travel and exploration. Displays include the
Apollo 4 Apollo 4 (November 9, 1967), also known as SA-501, was the uncrewed first test flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the rocket that eventually took astronauts to the Moon. The space vehicle was assembled in the Vehicle Assembly Buildin ...
command module, a full-sized
International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...
module, a cutaway model of the Orion spacecraft, and components from a space-flown RS-25 Space Shuttle Main Engine. Outdoor displays include an F-1 rocket engine, a
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...
buoy A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. Types Navigational buoys * Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...
,
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
riverine training boat and the Apollo 19 Saturn V first stage rocket booster (acquired from NASA Michoud Assembly). The INFINITY Science Center officially opened in April 2012 to replace the old StenniSphere visitors center.


StenniSphere

The museum and visitor center for the Stennis Space Center was known as StenniSphere. Upon the imminent opening of the new INFINITY Science Center, StenniSphere closed its doors to the public on February 15, 2012. Unlike INFINITY, the StenniSphere building is located within the grounds of the Stennis Space Center. Exhibits focused on the activities of NASA, space, space exploration, science, geography, weather and more. Many of the exhibits from StenniSphere have been moved into the new INFINITY visitor facility.


References


External links

*
''Lagniappe'' official newsletter

INFINITY Science Center

Movie of a test for a 250K hybrid rocket motor

High Performance Visualization Center homepage

National Data Buoy Center

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command

Robot Science Group

INFINITY Science Center at Stennis Space Center

Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary

Stennis Space Center Collection, The University of Alabama in Huntsville Archives and Special Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stennis Space Center 1961 establishments in Mississippi Aerospace research institutes Aviation research institutes Buildings and structures completed in 1965 Buildings and structures in Hancock County, Mississippi Lockheed Martin
John C. Stennis Space Center The John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) is a NASA rocket testing facility in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States, on the banks of the Pearl River at the Mississippi–Louisiana border. , it is NASA's largest rocket engine test facility. ...
NASA visitor centers National Historic Landmarks in Mississippi Space technology research institutes Towers in Mississippi University of Southern Mississippi Tourist attractions in Hancock County, Mississippi National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Mississippi