Aerospace and defense technology specialist Orbital ATK has successfully completed the structural acceptance test of its first motor high-strength composite case, which is being produced for new-generation intermediate- and large-class space launch vehicles.
The applied structural loads during the test demonstrated over 110% of maximum expected motor operating pressure and 110% of operational/flight and pre-launch compressive/tensile line loads. This full-scale motor case segment will be cast with inert solid rocket propellant in early 2018 and shipped to the launch site for check-out of ground operations.
“NGL (Next Generation Launch system) is one of Orbital ATK’s top growth initiatives,” said Scott Lehr, president of Orbital ATK’s Flight Systems Group. “This milestone clearly shows the progress being made by the hundreds of engineers and technicians in Utah and Arizona who are developing the NGL system.”
The NGL vehicles will share common propulsion, structures and avionics systems with other company programs, including smaller space launch vehicles as well as missile defense interceptors, target vehicles and strategic missile systems.
Orbital ATK’s NGL rocket family will be capable of launching the entire spectrum of national security payloads, as well as science and commercial satellites that are too large to be launched by the company’s current space launch vehicles.
November 9, 2017
