NASA Stennis a leading hub for commercial aerospace collaboration

NASA Stennis a leading hub for commercial aerospace collaboration
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 14, 2024

NASA's work has been pivotal in propelling commercial spaceflight, with NASA's Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, serving as a launch point for numerous aerospace endeavors. As the nation's largest propulsion test site, Stennis is recognized for collaborating with aerospace companies to meet their diverse testing needs and aims to expand its commercial partnerships even further.

"The aerospace industry is expanding rapidly, and we are here to support it," said NASA Stennis Director John Bailey. "NASA Stennis has proven for more than two decades that we have the versatile infrastructure and reliable propulsion test experts to meet testing needs and accelerate space goals for a whole range of customers."

Central to Stennis' offerings is the E Test Complex, equipped with four stands and 12 test cells that support a range of propulsion tests. The E-1 Test Stand with four cells and the E-3 Test Stand with two cells are operated by NASA, while Relativity Space leases the E-2 and E-4 stands for its operations.

The E Test Complex, built in the 1990s and early 2000s, can deliver various propellants and gases under varying pressures and flow rates that are often unavailable elsewhere. Its adaptability allows it to cater to projects from companies of all sizes. Additional services like welding, machining, calibration, and precision cleaning support the test operations conducted on site.

"NASA Stennis delivers exceptional results in a timely manner with our capabilities and services," said Duane Armstrong, manager of the NASA Stennis Strategic Business Development Office. "Our commercial partnerships and agreements have proven to be true win-win arrangements. NASA Stennis is where customers have access to unique NASA test support infrastructure and expertise, making it the go-to place for commercial propulsion testing."

A range of companies comes to Stennis for propulsion testing, whether for brief data collection or extended campaigns. The specific stage of development and test article type determine where activities take place within the E Complex. Test agreements can vary from leasing a stand for independent tests to partnering with NASA engineers or relying entirely on NASA for test execution.

Currently, companies such as Blue Origin, Boeing, Evolution Space, Launcher (a Vast company), Relativity Space, and Rolls-Royce are involved in testing at Stennis. The site has also hosted previous test projects by SpaceX, Stratolaunch, Virgin Orbit, and Orbital Sciences Corporation. Additionally, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, and Evolution Space are setting up production and test operations at the site.

"We may work with a customer brand new to the field, so we help them figure out how to build their engine," said Chris Barnett-Woods, E-1 electrical lead and instrumentation engineer. "Another customer may know exactly what they want, and we support them to make it happen. We focus on customer need. Given our expertise, we know how testing needs to be conducted or can figure it out quickly together, which can help our customer save money toward a successful outcome."

Since the late 1990s, when Stennis embarked on its first commercial partnership, capabilities have expanded alongside a deeper understanding of commercial needs, adapting business processes to align with industry expectations.

"Time-to-market is key for commercial companies," said Joe Schuyler, director of the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate. "They want to test as efficiently and economically as possible. Our goal is to meet them where they are and deliver what they need. And that is exactly what we focus our efforts on."

The center's strategic vision positions it as a "multi-user propulsion testing enterprise that accelerates the development of aerospace systems and services by government and industry." To support this, the center is modernizing operations and demonstrating why it stands as the preferred choice for propulsion testing.

"NASA Stennis is open for business as the preferred propulsion provider for aerospace companies," Bailey said. "Companies across the board are realizing they can achieve their desired results at NASA Stennis."