This 1981 photograph shows a space shuttle main engine undergoing a full power level 290.04 second test firing at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The firings were part of a series of developmental testing designed to increase the amount of thrust available to the shuttle from its three main engines.
This 1981 photograph shows a space shuttle main engine undergoing a full power level 290.04 second test firing at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The firings were part of a series of developmental testing designed to increase the amount of thrust available to the shuttle from its three main engines. The additional thrust allowed the shuttle to launch heavier payloads into orbit.Image Credit: NASA