Stennis Space Center

The John C. Stennis Space Center is a special place where NASA tests rocket engines. It is located in Hancock County, Mississippi, right on the banks of the Pearl River near the border with Louisiana. This center is very important because it is the largest rocket engine test facility that NASA uses.

Many different companies and agencies, from all over the world, come to the Stennis Space Center to test their rockets. Over 50 groups use the center’s facilities to make sure their rocket engines work safely and effectively. This helps scientists and engineers learn how to build better rockets for exploring space.

History

NASA needed a special place to test rocket engines. The site had to be between where rockets were built in New Orleans and where they would launch in Florida. It also needed to be near water for big rocket parts, and quiet enough so tests wouldn’t bother people nearby.

After looking at many places, NASA chose a spot in Mississippi on October 25, 1961. This area by the Pearl River was perfect. Before building could start, several small towns and many homes had to be moved. The site covers a huge area with space to keep noise away during tests. At first, it was used to test parts of the Saturn V rocket. Later, it helped get Space Shuttle engines ready for flight. The center was finally named after Senator John C. Stennis in 1988. Even after some space programs ended, the center kept growing and helping nearby communities.

Rocket propulsion test complex

The Rocket Propulsion Test Complex is a place where rockets are tested. It was built in 1965 as part of the John C. Stennis Space Center. This complex was very important for creating the Saturn V rocket. In 1985, the A-1, A-2 and B-1/B-2 test stands were named a National Historic Landmark. NASA's Engineering & Science team takes care of the rocket test stands at SSC.

A-1/A-2 Test stand

The A-1 and A-2 test stands at the Stennis Space Center were built to test the second stage of the Saturn V, called the S-II, for the Apollo program. These tall steel and concrete structures can handle very strong forces and high temperatures. They provide special fuels and gases needed for testing.

In the 1960s, these stands were used to test the S-II stage. The first test happened in April 1966, and later tests continued through the years. In the 1970s and 1980s, the stands were updated to test engines for the Space Shuttle program. More recently, they have been used to test new engines for future rockets, including tests in 2015 for the Space Launch System rocket as part of NASA’s Artemis program. In March 2020, the A-1 Test Stand was named after Apollo 13 astronaut and Biloxi, Mississippi native Fred Haise.

B-1/B-2 Test stand

The B-1/B-2 test stand is a special platform where rockets are tested. It can hold a very heavy load and was first built in the 1960s to test five big rocket engines together.

In 1966, a test rocket part was brought to the center for checking the testing setup. In early 1967, the first test firing happened, showing that everything worked well. Later, the stand was used for testing engines for the Space Shuttle and, more recently, for testing parts of NASA’s new rocket system.

A-3 Test stand

In August 2007, NASA started building the A-3 test stand at SSC. This stand was meant for testing J-2X engines as if they were in space. It could also work for testing engines at sea level. But because the Constellation Program was stopped in 2010, the stand might not be used right now. However, it could be changed later for new missions if needed.

In 2014, some writers said the work on this stand, which cost $350 million, was a waste. The stand might be used by Rocket Lab to develop and test their Archimedes rocket engine.

E Test stand complex

In the 1990s, a new test area called "E" was built to test many new small rocket parts and ideas. The E test stand area has four different test areas.

E1 Test stand

History

In 2012, Blue Origin tested parts for its new rocket engine at the E-1 test area.

In May 2014, a rocket engine being tested at the E-1 test area failed and caused damage. By June 2014, more information about the damage or when the test area would be fixed had not been shared.

In 2015, Aerojet Rocketdyne agreed to work with NASA to improve the E-1 test area for testing parts of a new rocket engine, with plans for the engine to fly after 2019.

Description

The E1 test area has three parts:

• E1 Cell 1 can test rocket parts that use special fuels and can handle up to 750,000 pounds of force.
• E1 Cells 2 and 3 are made for testing parts that move liquid fuels at high pressure.

E2 Test stand

The E2 test area has several parts for testing engines lying down or standing up. Cell 1 can test engines with up to 100,000 pounds of force, and Cell 2 can test bigger parts with up to 324,000 pounds of force. This area can use many types of fuels, including liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, liquid methane, and others.

E2 Cell 1 was built in 1993 to help develop materials for a special airplane. After 2013, the E2 test area was changed to test engines using liquid methane, with help from SpaceX, the state of Mississippi, and NASA.

Starting in 2014, SpaceX tested parts of its methane rocket engine on the E2 test area. These tests were only for parts of the engine, not the whole engine.

E3 Test stand

The E3 test area has two parts for testing smaller rocket parts:

• E3 Cell 1 can test parts with up to 60,000 pounds of force lying down. It can use different fuel mixes.
• E3 Cell 2 can test parts with up to 25,000 pounds of force standing up, using similar fuels plus hydrogen peroxide.

Tests in the late 1990s helped make hybrid rocket motors used in space travel.

E4 Test stand

The E4 test area has four tall concrete walls, a big building for controlling tests, and many underground pipes and wires. It was designed to test engines and parts with up to 500,000 pounds of force lying down. It was planned to be built near another test area in the year 2000.

H-1 Test stand

In 2001, plans were made to build a special place at Stennis to test a new kind of laser for defending against missiles. This test area, called H-1, would help check how well the laser worked.

Later, in 2007, a company from the United Kingdom named Rolls-Royce started using part of the old H-1 area to test airplane engines outside. They did this because their old test site in the UK was too noisy. In 2013, Rolls-Royce opened another test area at the same spot.

List of center directors

The Stennis Space Center has had several directors over the years.

Tenant facilities

The Stennis Space Center has many important groups and organizations working there. In 2005, over 30 government agencies and private companies called it home. The biggest group was the United States Navy, with around 3,500 people.

Some of the other important groups include:

US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service (NWS). NDBC helps create and watch a network of data-collecting buoys and coastal stations.
• National Centers for Environmental Information
• National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Region, Field Office Stennis Space Center
• Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

US Geological Survey

See also: Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

• The US Geological Survey Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility

United States Navy

• The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM or NMOC) helps with weather and ocean studies for the Navy. It is based at the SSC.
• A branch of the Naval Research Laboratory
• The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) has about 1,000 people who work on ocean studies for the Department of Defense.
• 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 308

University

The John C. Stennis Space Center works with several universities. These include Mississippi State University, which has special research centers, and The University of Southern Mississippi, which has a center for marine science.

Commercial

Many companies also use the Stennis Space Center. These include Rolls-Royce for testing engines outdoors, United Launch Alliance for engine testing, Lockheed Martin for space technology, and Skydweller Aero for flying solar-powered aircraft without people.

Former tenant organizations

In the past, the Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant was also a tenant at the center.

INFINITY Science Center

The INFINITY Science Center is a museum that serves as the visitor center for the John C. Stennis Space Center. This large building, covering 72,000 square feet (6,700 m²), is near the border of Mississippi and LA.

The museum has many interactive exhibits about nature in Mississippi, space travel, planets, stars, weather, and Earth science. Visitors can see important objects like the command module from the Apollo 4 mission, a full-sized model of the International Space Station, and parts from a space-flown RS-25 Space Shuttle Main Engine. Outside, there is an F-1 rocket engine, a tsunami buoy, a boat used by the U.S. Navy, and a large rocket booster from the Apollo 19 mission.

The INFINITY Science Center opened in April 2012, replacing the older StenniSphere visitor center.

StenniSphere

Before the INFINITY Science Center opened, the Stennis Space Center had a visitor center called StenniSphere. StenniSphere closed on February 15, 2012, when the new center opened. Many of its exhibits were moved to the INFINITY Science Center. StenniSphere was located inside the Stennis Space Center and had displays about NASA, space exploration, science, and weather.