NASA Tests the World Biggest Rocket

Building the most powerful rocket in the world is a difficult feat. But NASA is on track when it comes to its goal as the agency continuously tests the different components of the rocket as the launch date draws near.

Last June, the QM-2 rocket booster to be used by the new Space Launch System (SLS) was tested in the desert base in Utah. The majestic engine test was filmed by NASA's High Dynamic Range Stereo X camera (HiDyRS-X) that produced a fascinating video of the burn.

HiDyRS-X has done a great job in capturing what used to be a very difficult subject to capture because the bright plumes and fire emitting from the rocket interfere with the camera's exposure. But NASA's new camera and its operators found a way to capture the rocket test by way of filming a number of slow-motion video exposures all at the same time.

The HiDyRS-X boasts of its capability to film multiple exposures at once compared to the normal single exposure of a normal camera, according to Daily Mail. This technology enabled the camera to film the impressively bright and cold plumes from the boosters.

The result was a very detailed and an "epic" video of a rocket test. Despite the successful rocket booster test, NASA's new camera suffered minor glitches during the filming of the test when the camera failed to trigger remotely during the first ignition and when it lost the power during the most powerful engine burn of the rocket. But scientists remain positive despite the glitches. "Failure during testing of the camera is the opportunity to get smarter," Howard Conyers, a structural dynamist at NASA and lead of the test said in a statement. "Without failure, technology and innovation is not possible," Conyers added.

The most powerful rocket to be built ever will launch the Orion spacecraft to Earth and will also carry crew beyond Earth's orbit in future deep space explorations.