by Dave Nordling, President, RRS.ORG
New RRS members, Derek Honkawa, Rick Maschek, Eric Beckner, Mike and Preston Brinker brought a LOX-ethanol liquid engine for static firing at the MTA vertical test stand. I served as the pyrotechnic operator in charge for that day. RRS members, Rushd Julfiker and Bill Inman were present that day to observe along with John Newman of FAR.
Their structure which bolted to the square hole grid supported parallel, same-sized run tanks, each with their own dome-loaded pressure regulators.
Each tank had both manual and remote venting. Each tank also had manual fill and drain valves at the bottom. The engine was supported on an angled sliding rail set firmly against a load cell. The chamber pressure measurement was taken from a side port covered by the ablative liner inside and the line to the sensor head was filled with oil to preserve the measurement.
The team started early that morning following their checklist that began with simple valve checks of the whole system in the completely empty condition. A few minor issues were found and resolved. Low pressure leak checks and valve function tests followed successfully. High pressure lockup testing for leaks were also successful. The team also conducted an igniter test to verify proper burn duration. Upon this careful sequence of initial testing, the team proceeded with propellant loading.
After careful review of their firing procedures, the pyro-op gave permission to continue the test. After air and road checks, a smooth countdown with properly confirmed ignition before valve opening led to a successful 3-second burn tailing off gently. After venting off all stored pressures and confirming a safe system, the test was deemed a success.
This engine was fired a previous time and the team opted to let this single test suffice. The team was well organized, safety focused and communicated well with each other and those on site. It was an excellent example of how to conduct a liquid rocket engine test.