Image: The shake, rattle and roar of the J-2X engine

(Phys.org) -- The shake, rattle and roar lasted just seven seconds, but the short J-2X test conducted May 16 at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi moved the space agency ever closer to a return to deep space.

NASA operators tested the next-generation J-2X engine on the A-2 Test Stand at Stennis to collect early data on performance of the engine and test stand with the new nozzle extension and clamshell configuration. The test also provided data on startup and shutdown processes.

The J-2X engine is the first new liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engine developed in 40 years that will be rated to carry humans into space.

The May 16 test was part of a second series of firings to collect critical data for continued development of the engine. The J-2X engine is being developed for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, Calif.