Nasa rocket clears hurdle on path to MarsRuptly NASA tested the new Space Launch System solid rocket booster at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems' test facilities in Promontory, Utah, on TuesdayNasa successfully tested a rocket booster that it hopes will one day help carry astronauts to Mars. HANDOUT The boosters will be used in Nasa's Space Launch System,. The boosters will be used in Nasa's Space Launch System, which consists of two boosters and four main engines built by an outside contractor. HANDOUT The SLS Five-Segment Solid Rocket Motor, that will launch Nasa's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft to deep space, undergoes a static test fire at the Orbital ATK facility. It was the last full-scale test for the booster before a scheduled unmanned test flight with NASA's Orion spacecraft in late 2018.

Source: Stuff June 29, 2016 01:52 UTC