When NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifts off, its four RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters will produce a combined 8.4 million pounds of thrust, and with that comes a torrent of heat and noise. To help protect the SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, Mobile Launcher, and launch pad from the extreme acoustic and temperature environment, water will spray onto the launch pad during ignition and liftoff.
During a water deluge test in December, thousands of gallons of water flowed into the flame trench and through upgraded systems at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B. Upgrades included corrosion control, refurbishment of the elevated water storage tank, and replacement of much of the piping, valves, nozzles, and other components.
Video source: Julian Danzer
Text source: NASA (full article:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/water-deluge-test-a-success-at-launch-pad-39b)
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