Mary-Louise Hoffman
A five-segment solid rocket booster that ATK built for NASA‘s Space Launch System has passed a critical design review and is deemed ready to go through a qualification test.
“Achieving this milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for ATK and NASA as we continue building the boosters for America’s Space Launch System,” Charlie Precourt, ATK vice president and general manager for its space launch division, said Thursday.
NASA and Boeing are building the Space Launch System to transport astronauts for deep space destinations such as Mars and the moon.
The agency is slated to conduct an unmanned test flight of the heavy-lift rocket in 2017, according to ATK.
ATK says it plans to perform ground firing tests on a full-scale booster at the company’s facility in Promontory, Utah later this year or early next year.
A design certification review of ATK’s booster technology is scheduled to occur in fall 2016.
