Space Shuttle Main Engine/RS-25

Developed for the Space Shuttle, the Space Shuttle Main Engine, or RS-25, powered 30 years of spaceflight during 135 missions. The Space Shuttle used three main engines, along with two Solid Rocket Boosters, for lift-off. After the solid rockets were jettisoned, the main engines provided thrust that continued to accelerate the shuttle from 3,000 miles per hour. The engine created a combined maximum thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds. The engines were designed to be reused and to have a lifetime of 55 missions. The power generated by all three engines was roughly equivalent to 23 Hoover Dams. The RS-25 has a new role with the Space Launch System in the Artemis program, helping power NASA's return to the Moon. The Space Launch System uses four RS-25s plus two Solid Rocket Boosters at lift-off, making it NASA's most powerful launch vehicle. The engines have been adapted and upgraded for the Artemis missions with new control systems and an increased throttle limit. Artemis aims to land the next people, including the first woman, on the Moon during the Artemis III mission.

Huntsville, Alabama · United States