NASA’s first big test of the core stage of its Space Launch System rocket had to be cut dramatically short due to what was initially described as a «Major Component Failure.
When NASA tested its Space Launch System core stage this past weekend, the actual firing of the rocket stage only lasted a fraction of the time it was intended to. The test, which lasted just over a minute but was expected to persist for just over eight minutes, was aborted when the systems monitoring the engines and collecting data reported a “Major Component Failure.” It wasn’t immediately clear what on the SLS core stage broke or failed, and it was noted by observers that the engines appeared to be firing normally when the alert was triggered.
