Update on the development of the Space Shuttle main engine /as of June 20, 1978/

During the last year, significant progress was made toward the development of the Space Shuttle Main Engine which will provide propulsion for the Space Shuttle Orbiter Vehicle. Component and subsystem testing was conducted at the Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory on combustion devices, turbomachinery, and the engine POGO suppression system. Engine testing continued at the National Space Technology Laboratories on both single engines and a three-engine cluster. As a result of these tests, hardware limitations were identified and design modifications were incorporated and evaluated by further testing. Current effort is being directed toward the delivery of the first flight engines and certification of the SSME for manned flight.