NASA and Northrop Grumman Corporation have conducted a full-scale static fire test of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket motor, known as Flight Support Booster (FSB-1), in Promontory.

During the test, the 154-foot-long, five-segment rocket motor fired for just over two minutes, producing 3.6 million pounds of thrust. Two SLS boosters will provide more than 75 percent of the initial thrust for an SLS launch.

"NASA's Artemis missions, powered by Northrop Grumman boosters, will push the boundaries of what is possible for human exploration in space," said Charlie Precourt, vice president, propulsion systems, Northrop Grumman.

"We have built, qualified and delivered flight hardware for Artemis I, and we are committed to the continuous improvement and testing of our products to provide the best solid propulsion to fuel NASA's missions to the moon and beyond."

The company developed this motor based on the flight-proven design of the space shuttle boosters with enhanced technologies and updated materials to support NASA's most powerful rocket to date.

The new five-segment booster configuration provides 20 percent greater average thrust than the shuttle boosters, aiding in the SLS rocket's ability to deliver greater mass and volume by generating greater departure energy than any existing launch vehicle.

Prior to this test, NASA and Northrop Grumman conducted a series of ground tests beginning in 2010 to satisfy requirements for certification of the booster. FSB-1 evaluated ballistic parameters and performance of propellant materials from new sources, an upgrade to enable the booster to meet the high performance demands of SLS.

Northrop Grumman has delivered the first set of rocket motor segments for Artemis I boosters. The second set of motors for the Artemis II boosters are nearly complete, and rocket motor segments for Artemis III are in production. Materials evaluated in today's test could be used in missions following Artemis III.

Related Links
Northrop Grumman
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

DARPA completes key milestone on Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapons program
Washington DC (SPX) Sep 02, 2020
DARPA and the US Air Force (ave announced the successful completion of captive carry tests of two variants of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) and are ready to proceed to first free-flight testing within the calendar year. The joint Agency and Service effort seeks to develop and demonstrate critical technologies to enable an effective and affordable air-launched hypersonic cruise missile. HAWC performers Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies have each tested advanced air vehi ... read more