News Archive / Tagged: Promontory
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NASA to air Northrop Grumman FSB-1 test fire from Utah
Theresa CrossSeptember 2nd, 2020On Wednesday, September 2 at 2:45 p.m.. EDT, NASA will broadcast a full-duration test fire by Northrop Grumman of a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket booster. It will air on NASA television and will also be viewable online, via their website. The test will be conducted at Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing and test facilities in Promontory, […]
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NG engineer details what it is like to develop GEM 63 booster
Jason RhianDecember 20th, 2018PROMONTORY, Utah -- Each component of a rocket is individual, yet it must function as one on the day of launch. The GEM 63 solid rocket motor has begun taking its first steps toward being integrated into one of the most successful rockets ever flown. What were those first steps like?
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Northrop Grumman test fires astronaut protection system
Jason RhianDecember 13th, 2018Sending crews to destinations such as the Moon and Mars is not easy. As many within the space industry will tell you, one of the most harrowing times during these missions is the first few minutes of the flight. A test carried out today worked to make this tense period a little less stressful for […]
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Gallery: Desolate Utah plains rumble with GEM 63’s fury
Jason RhianSeptember 21st, 2018PROMONTORY, Utah — Northrop Grumman’s GEM 63 solid rocket motor conducted its first test fire at 1 p.m. MDT (3 p.m. EDT / 19:00 GMT) on Thursday, Sept. 20. The motor was tested under “cold conditions” of approximately 40 °F. The GEM 63 series is being developed for use on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V […]
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Insider Live: Northrop Grumman’s GEM 63 first test fire
Jason RhianSeptember 19th, 2018Want to see exclusive live video of a GEM 63 rocket motor being tested? Only SpaceFlight Insider brings you live coverage from the test site in Utah. Tune in at 12:30 p.m. MDT / 2:30 p.m. EDT.
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Insider Exclusive: The people and parts of NASA’s EM-1 mission
Jason RhianOctober 1st, 2017PROMONTORY, Utah — NASA is eyeing a 2019 launch for its new super-heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. While some of the systems are so-called legacy hardware, they have never been flown in this configuration without a side-mounted shuttle and with a mandate to take crews far beyond low-Earth orbit. For each mission, NASA is not only relying on the parts to guarantee its astronauts travel safely to these distant destinations but also people who work every day to ensure these components are as reliable as possible.
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Five Seconds of Fury: Orbital ATK conducts test fire of Launch Abort Motor
Jason RhianJune 16th, 2017PROMONTORY, Utah — With a brief flash of highly controlled power, Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital ATK, along with NASA and Lockheed Martin, successfully conducted a test of a system designed to increase safety and to save lives.
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SFI Live: QM-1 Launch Abort Motor test fire
Jason RhianJune 15th, 2017PROMONTORY, Utah — Orbital ATK and NASA are planning to conduct a static test fire of the Orion spacecraft's Launch Abort Motor. The Qualification Motor 1 test is set to begin at 1 p.m. MDT and last for approximately five seconds. SFI will be on hand providing you with exclusive coverage from the T-97 viewing site about a half mile away. Tune into our Live Webcast starting at 12:30 MDT.
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Orbital ATK poised to test Orion Launch Abort Motor
Jason RhianJune 14th, 2017PROMONTORY, Utah — On Thursday, June 15, 2017, NASA, Orbital ATK, and Lockheed Martin are slated to carry out the first of three qualification ground tests (QM-1) of the Launch Abort Motor being developed for use on the space agency's Orion spacecraft.
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Photo Gallery: Orbital ATK QM-2 solid rocket booster test
Jason RhianJuly 4th, 2016PROMONTORY, Utah — Orbital ATK and NASA test fired one of the Dulles, Virginia-based firm’s massive five-segment solid rocket boosters on June 28, 2016, at 9:05 a.m. MDT (11:05 EDT / 15:05 GMT). The cold soak test was the second and final under the Qualification Motor series of tests. These boosters should next light up in late […]
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Insider Exclusive: Precourt talks boosters, bovines and brilliance
Jason RhianJuly 2nd, 2016PROMONTORY, Utah — Charlie Precourt has piercing, steely-blue eyes that help cement one's mental image of a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and a four-time space shuttle astronaut. Precourt now works for Orbital ATK to develop the massive five-segment SRBs that will be used on the new SLS. SpaceFlight Insider spoke with Precourt in an exclusive interview about the June 28, 2016, QM-2 test fire.
