Issue in NASA’s moon rocket booster test

A test of a new rocket booster for NASA’s Artemis program went wrong at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Utah. The booster, called the Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE), is meant to power the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for future moon missions. The test lasted two minutes, mimicking a real launch, but near the end, something failed.

Debris shot out of the nozzle, and flames surged through the exhaust, surprising engineers watching the livestream. For the first 90 seconds, the 156-foot booster worked well, producing over 4 million pounds of thrust. But with seconds left, the issue caused a stir, with one controller saying, “Whoa,” during the broadcast. No one was hurt, and the booster kept firing until the test ended.

The BOLE is a redesigned version of the SLS boosters, using lighter materials and a new fuel mix to carry heavier loads. It’s planned for Artemis IX in the 2030s, but budget cuts might stop the SLS program after Artemis III in 2027. The test aimed to check the booster’s limits, gathering data to improve its design.

Engineers will now study what went wrong to ensure the hardware is safe for future missions. NASA and Northrop Grumman haven’t shared details about the failure yet, but the incident raises concerns about the equipment meant to send astronauts to the moon.