NASA's Space Launch System, or SLS, continued development toward a Nov 2018 launch date of the Block 1 (70-metric ton lift) vehicle, and has begun development of the Block 1B (105-metric ton lift). In June, the Qualification Motor 2 test firing was completed at Orbital ATK's Promontory Propulsion Systems facility in northern Utah. The motor was a full-scale five-segment Solid Rocket Booster that will be used for SLS. By cooling the motor for more than a month using large air-conditioning units, this test was conducted at the minimum propellant temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. When ignited, those temperatures inside the booster reach nearly 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Space Launch System keeps pace for 2018 liftoff
Aerospace America ; 54 , 11
2016
Article (Journal)
English