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SSC conducted a successful test firing on November 10, 2010 of the liquid-fuel AJ26 engine that will power the first stage of the Taurus II space launch vehicle. The test directly supports NASA’s partnerships to enable commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. Bastion safety engineers performed the System Hazard Analysis for the E1 Cell 3 Test Facility AJ26 Test Project. The analysis addressed process subsystems in support of the test project at the E1 complex test facility. The facility began a series of progressive level tests providing pressure fed liquid oxygen (LOX), Rocket Propellant (RP-1), and utilized gaseous nitrogen as a pressurant. Additionally, Bastion provided safety and mission assurance expertise for facility modifications required to accommodate the test. The E1 Cell 3 Test Facility was modified from a horizontal engine testing facility to a vertical configuration to test the AJ26 engine.
Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said “This brings us one step closer to realizing NASA’s goals for accessing low Earth orbit via commercial spacecraft.”
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