posted 02-26-2010 09:21 AM               

One last blast: Final firing for space shuttle solid rocket ground tests

The thunderous roar from a space shuttle solid rocket booster reverberating and rebounding off the mountains of northern Utah was heard for the final time Thursday, as NASA and Alliant Techsystems ignited their last ground test after three decades of static firings.

posted 02-26-2010 09:22 AM               

NASA's Space Shuttle Program Successfully Conducts Final Motor Test In Utah

NASA's Space Shuttle Program conducted the final test firing of a reusable solid rocket motor Feb. 25 in Promontory, Utah.

The flight support motor, or FSM-17, burned for approximately 123 seconds -- the same time each reusable solid rocket motor burns during an actual space shuttle launch. Preliminary indications show all test objectives were met. After final test data are analyzed, results for each objective will be published in a NASA report.

ATK Launch Systems, a unit of Alliant Techsystems Inc., in Promontory, north of Salt Lake City, manufactures and tests the solid rocket motors.

The test - the 52nd conducted for NASA by ATK - marks the closure of a test program that has spanned more than three decades. The first test was in July 1977. The ATK-built motors have successfully launched the space shuttle into orbit 129 times.

"Today's test was a great deal more than the successful conclusion to a series of highly successful NASA/ATK-sponsored static tests that began more than three decades ago," said David Beaman, Reusable Solid Rocket Booster project manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The project, part of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office, is responsible for motor design, development, manufacturing, assembly, testing and flight performance.

"These tests have built a base of engineering knowledge that continued engineering development of the reusable solid rocket motor system and the continued safe and successful launch of space shuttles," Beaman said. "They have provided an engineering model and lessons learned for additional applications in future launch systems."

The final test was conducted to ensure the safe flight of the four remaining space shuttle missions. A total of 43 design objectives were measured through 258 instrument channels during the two-minute static firing. The flight motor tested represents motors that will be used for all remaining space shuttle launches.

The space shuttle's reusable solid rocket motor is the largest solid rocket motor ever flown, the only one rated for human flight and the first designed for reuse. Each shuttle launch requires the boost of two reusable solid rocket motors to lift the 4.5-million-pound shuttle vehicle.

During space shuttle flights, solid rocket motors provide 80 percent of the thrust during the first two minutes of flight. Each motor, the primary component of the shuttle's twin solid rocket boosters, generates an average thrust of 2.6 million pounds and is just over 126 feet long and 12 feet in diameter.

posted 02-26-2010 09:24 AM               

ATK and NASA Perform Final Ground Test for Space Shuttle Program

Test will Ensure Booster Safety for Four Remaining Shuttle Flights

Earlier today [Feb. 25], Alliant Techsystems and NASA successfully performed the final ground test of a reusable solid rocket motor (RSRM) for the Space Shuttle program at ATK's Promontory, Utah facility. The test marks the completion of a 30-year program that continuously improved the RSRM's performance and safety features. With the completion of today's test, ATK is ready to usher in the next generation of space exploration.

The space shuttle is scheduled to retire this year after completing four additional flights. The ground test program, with the philosophy of "test before flight," was used from the inception of the shuttle program to qualify materials, improve motor performance and gain a complete understanding of its flight characteristics.

Since 1988, 210 RSRMs have flown on 105 shuttle missions. ATK has conducted 34 ground tests during that period that have enabled new materials, enhanced performance, and human rated safety margins to be adequately tested and verified before incorporating them into flight hardware.

Significant investments and technical upgrades made to the RSRMs as a result of the robust test program have produced a human-rated rocket motor that has achieved:

• 100% on-time delivery.
  
• 100% launch readiness, with zero scrubs or countdown issues.
  
• 3.2 million pounds of thrust delivered safely, every time, and
  
• a program that has never exceeded its budget

"Successfully conducting 52 ground tests and launching 260 operational motors using the current robust design is a testament to the dedication, work ethic, and unique skills of ATK's workforce," said Mike Kahn, executive vice president, ATK Space Systems. "I want to commend this team for a great accomplishment. We look forward to utilizing the skills of our workforce as we move toward the next generation of human space flight."

The solid rocket motor tested today measures more than 126 feet in length and 12 feet in diameter. It generated the equivalent of 15 million horsepower throughout the duration of the test, which lasted approximately two minutes.

A total of 43 design objectives were measured through 258 instrument channels. Objectives included ensuring the final shuttle motors were built with the level of quality required to safely put astronauts into space, demonstrating performance of minor upgrades to materials, and testing acoustic measurements around the aft end of the motor that will provide valuable data for the Ares program.

"These solid rocket motors have proven themselves to be the safest and most reliable human-rated launch system," said Charlie Precourt, vice president and general manager of Space Launch Systems and former four-time shuttle astronaut. "The investment made in this technology, infrastructure and skilled work force has created a national asset that is prepared to support a successful transition to the country's next human-rated space system."

The data from this ground test will also aid in continued development of the five-segment motor which is scheduled for its second ground test this fall. Last year ATK successfully conducted the first Ares five-segment ground test as well as the first flight test of the Ares I-X vehicle. Planned upgrades for the five-segment motor are expected to improve overall system reliability and reduce system costs going forward.

posted 02-26-2010 11:58 PM               

The investment made in this technology, infrastructure and skilled work force has created a national asset that is prepared to support a successful transition to the country's next human-rated space system.