NASA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

Paul Foerman
Stennis Space Center, Miss.
(Phone: 228/688-3341)

Martin Jensen
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(Phone: 256/544-0034)

RELEASE: 05-350

NASA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, NASA's Stennis Space
Center, Miss., returned to its primary business Tuesday, testing
space shuttle main engines.

Engineers successfully test-fired an engine for 520 seconds; the time
it takes a shuttle to reach orbit. Tuesday's engine test is an
indication that Stennis and the region are working toward recovering
from the storm.

The test was a continuation of a certification series on the Advanced
Health Management System, which monitors the engine's performance. It
enables the engine to shut down if unusual vibrations are detected in
the turbopump. It's an upgrade that provides a significant
improvement for lower risk for shuttle main engines. Other engine
parts were tested and certified, such as a fast-response temperature
sensor.

"We are very pleased to be testing again," said Gene Goldman, manager
of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project Office at NASA's Marshall
Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. "It's a testament to the
dedication and character of the Stennis workforce that they are able
to test so soon after hurricanes Katrina and Rita." Approximately 25
percent of Stennis' 4,500 employees lost their homes, and the
majority had varying degrees of damage.

Stennis has tested and proven flight-worthy every space shuttle main
engine since the first in 1975. For information NASA's shuttle
program on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info