The first test of the SLS booster was successfully performed on the 11th March, providing key data on the booster’s performance in warm weather conditions ahead of the SLS debut in 2018.
The booster, named Qualification Motor 1, ignited at 15:30 UTC. Anchored down to the ground at Orbital ATK’s test facility in Promontory, Utah, the booster burned for a full duration test of two minutes. The two minute length simulates the amount of time the booster will be firing when it is part of the SLS rocket. Generating 3.6 million pounds of thrust, the QM1 is the world’s most powerful solid rocket booster ever built.
"This test is a significant milestone for SLS and follows years of development," said Todd May, SLS program manager. "Our partnership with Orbital ATK and more than 500 suppliers across the country is keeping us on the path to building the most powerful rocket in the world."
The test collected data on 103 design objectives as measured through 531 instrumentation channels on the QM-1 booster. This data will be analysed over the coming months and years, allowing scientists and engineers a great deal of knowledge of how the booster reacts in warm weather conditions. A further test, planned for this time next year, will test the booster’s performance under cold temperature, in contrast to yesterday’s warm temperature test. The data of both tests combined will provide amazing analytical models that will be key to ensure the highest of safety for humans on board of the SLS.
The first flight of the SLS, known as Exploration Mission-1, is currently scheduled for November 2018 and will carry an unmanned Orion capsule on a three week expedition beyond the Moon and back.
The booster, named Qualification Motor 1, ignited at 15:30 UTC. Anchored down to the ground at Orbital ATK’s test facility in Promontory, Utah, the booster burned for a full duration test of two minutes. The two minute length simulates the amount of time the booster will be firing when it is part of the SLS rocket. Generating 3.6 million pounds of thrust, the QM1 is the world’s most powerful solid rocket booster ever built.
"This test is a significant milestone for SLS and follows years of development," said Todd May, SLS program manager. "Our partnership with Orbital ATK and more than 500 suppliers across the country is keeping us on the path to building the most powerful rocket in the world."
The test collected data on 103 design objectives as measured through 531 instrumentation channels on the QM-1 booster. This data will be analysed over the coming months and years, allowing scientists and engineers a great deal of knowledge of how the booster reacts in warm weather conditions. A further test, planned for this time next year, will test the booster’s performance under cold temperature, in contrast to yesterday’s warm temperature test. The data of both tests combined will provide amazing analytical models that will be key to ensure the highest of safety for humans on board of the SLS.
The first flight of the SLS, known as Exploration Mission-1, is currently scheduled for November 2018 and will carry an unmanned Orion capsule on a three week expedition beyond the Moon and back.