Sun, Aug 28, 2011
Five-Segment Solid Rocket Booster Burn Expected To Last About
Two Minutes
NASA and Alliant Techsystems (ATK) will conduct a full-scale
test of a five-segment, solid rocket motor at the ATK Aerospace
Systems test facility in Promontory, Utah, at 1605 EDT, Thursday,
Sept. 8. The static firing of the five-segment solid rocket motor,
designated Development Motor-3 (DM-3), will last approximately two
minutes. DM-3 is the third in a series of development motors and
the most heavily instrumented solid rocket motor in NASA history,
with a total of 37 test objectives measured through more than 970
instruments.
The DM-3 incorporates several performance-based improvements to
the designs of the first two development motors. Additionally, the
core of DM-3 will be heated to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for this
full-duration firing to verify the motor's performance at high
temperatures. This test will continue to advance understanding of
five-segment solid rocket motor performance and specifically assess
performance at the highest end of the motor's accepted temperature
range. Through development testing, the solid rocket motor will be
certified to fly at ambient temperatures ranging from 40 to 90
degrees Fahrenheit.
The DM-3 test will follow wind constraint requirements different
than past development motors. Two days before the test, ATK's
public relations will notify registered media of a go/no-go
decision. If no-go, the test will slip to the next day.
Notification of a decision to proceed will be made via email, website and social media
(Facebook and Twitter).
The solid rocket motor is managed by NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. ATK Space Systems is the prime
contractor.
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