Data Will Provide Valuable Information For The Development Of
Future Launch Vehicles
A successful ground test of the second Ares five-segment
Development Motor (DM-2) was successfully carried out by NASA and
Alliant Techsystems Tuesday. The successful test is considered an
important step in the development of America's next generation of
launch vehicles, as the motor is potentially transferable to future
heavy-lift launch vehicle designs.
The stationary firing of the first-stage development solid
rocket motor, dubbed DM-2, was the most heavily instrumented solid
rocket motor test in NASA history. More than 760 instruments
measured 53 test objectives.
Prior to the static test, the solid rocket motor was cooled to
40 degrees Fahrenheit to verify the performance of new materials
and assess motor performance at low temperatures during the
full-duration test. Initial test data showed the motor performance
met all expectations.
"For every few degrees the temperature rises, solid propellant
burns slightly faster and only through robust ground testing can we
understand how material and motor performance is impacted by
different operating conditions," said Alex Priskos, first stage
manager for Ares Projects at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, AL. "Ground-testing at temperature extremes pushes this
system to its limits, which advances our understanding of
five-segment solid rocket motor performance."
The first-stage solid rocket motor is designed to generate up
to 3.6-million pounds of thrust at launch. Information collected
from this test, together with data from the first development motor
test last year, will be evaluated to better understand the
performance and reliability of the design.
Although similar to the solid rocket boosters that help power
the space shuttle to orbit, the five-segment development motor
includes several upgrades and technology improvements implemented
by NASA and ATK engineers. Motor upgrades from a shuttle booster
include the addition of a fifth segment, a larger nozzle throat,
and upgraded insulation and liner. The motor cases are
flight-proven hardware used on shuttle launches for more than three
decades. The cases used in this ground test have collectively
launched 48 previous missions, including STS-1, the first shuttle
flight.
After more testing, the first-stage solid rocket motor will be
certified to fly at temperature ranges between 40-90 degrees
Fahrenheit. The solid rocket motor was built as an element of
NASA's Constellation Program and is managed by the Ares Projects
Office at Marshall. The next test for the program, Development
Motor-3, will be a hot temperature test conducted next year.
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