The RS-25 engine for NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System, is one of the most complex and efficient rocket engines in the world. Four RS-25 engines and two, five-segment solid rocket boosters will power the SLS on deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars. The RS-25 has been modified for SLS specifications, including a higher thrust level, and is being tested at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

If it happens, Richard Shelby losing his position as chair of Senate Appropriations would be notable for space. He has wielded his enormous power to steer funding to Alabama across all disciplines, but especially for Marshall Space Flight Center and the Space Launch System.