As assembly continues for NASA's J-2X engine, engineers have completed analysis of data collected from the latest round of tests of the engine's workhorse gas generator. The gas generator produces a large volume of hot gas that powers the engine's turbo-machinery. During the series of hot-fire tests at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center this summer, engineers demonstrated that hardware changes to the gas generator were effective in maintaining engine stability before the first hot-fire tests. NASA's J-2X is an efficient and versatile rocket engine. While it was designed to power the upper stages of the Ares I and V launch vehicles, the J-2X has the ideal thrust and performance characteristics to power the upper stage of a heavy-lift launch vehicle. The heart of the J-2X is proven heritage technology that propelled the Saturn V upper stage engine, incorporating state-of-the-art improvements. Image credit: NASA/MSFC
