Space

NASA Tested New Rocket Motor for Manned Mission to the Moon

It could be used for the next human spaceflight to the Moon

By Lucian Dorneanu, Science Editor

28th of May 2007, 13:03 GMT

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NASA's static firing of a full-scale, full-duration flight support motor

NASA tested a new reusable solid rocket motor last week at the Utah test facility. It was a full scale 2-minute test that would help the development of new engines for the next generation of space shuttles, possibly even the one that will carry the next human spacecraft to the moon.

It was a static firing, the engine being mounted on a support structure and it lasted for 123 seconds, the same time each reusable solid rocket

motor burns during an actual space shuttle launch. The test was performed by ATK Launch Systems Group, a unit of Alliant Techsystems Inc. in Promontory, Utah, where the shuttle's solid rocket motors are manufactured and commissioned by the Reusable Solid Rocket Booster Project Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The aim of the test was to gather information about how new materials perform compared to those already in use and possible changes to the rocket motor. The focal points were a new low-temperature O-ring seal material for improved sealing capabilities and a new nozzle liner material and asbestos-free case insulation material.

"Full-scale static testing such as this is a key element of the 'test before you fly' standard and ensures continued quality and performance," said Jody Singer, manager of the Reusable Solid Rocket Booster Project, part of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office at Marshall.

For now, the shuttle's reusable solid rocket motor is not only the largest ever to fly in space, but also the only one that qualifies for human flight. The booster separation motor on the Space Shuttle is a small rocket motor that separates the reusable solid rocket motors from the shuttle before the shuttle leaves the atmosphere. This separation occurs after about 2 minutes of burn time of the reusable solid rocket motors, and firing of the booster separation motors takes less than a second.

Reusable launch motors are created to provide the possibility of low cost and highly reliable access to space. However, reusability implies weight penalties such as reentry shielding and possibly a stronger structure to survive multiple uses and, given the lack of experience with these vehicles, the actual costs and reliability are yet to be seen.

TAGS:

NASA | rocket | shuttle | engine

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