ATK technologies, including a motor from its Elkton, Md, site, were part of the historic launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Orion crew capsule on its first mission.
The system could be used on manned flights to Mars.
ATK’s inert launch abort motor and attitude control motor were part of the Launch Abort System for the Orion capsule, which is designed to fly atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). The mission marks a milestone in exploration of deep space.
The inert launch abort motor (manufactured in Utah) and attitude control motor (manufactured in Elkton), are solid fuel rocket motors designed to ensure crew safety. Many other ATK components from other sites were used.
The Ekton-built attitude motor is charged with keeping the crew module on a controlled flight path after it jettisons, steering it away from the Ares 1 crew launch vehicle in the event of an emergency, and then reorienting the capsule for parachute deployment, according to a NASA release. The motor has been tested at the ATK site outside Elkton.
The abort system is similar to an ejection seat found in a fighter jet. If an emergency were to arise at the pad, or during launch and ascent, the abort system would lift the capsule and crew away from the rocket. The system was not used in the flight but monitors were employed to determine conditions.
“Watching the launch of Orion’s first flight test was incredibly inspiring,” said Charlie Precourt, vice president and general manager of ATK’s Space Launch division, and four-time space shuttle astronaut. “With this mission, NASA and its partners have embarked on a new chapter of space exploration—one that will take humankind farther than we have ever ventured to go. While humans have been exploring Mars from afar for years, SLS and Orion will take people there.”
During the test, the Orion spacecraft took a four-and-a-half hour trip into space, traveling 15 times farther from Earth than the International Space Station.
During its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, Orion traveled at 20,000 mph, faster than any current spacecraft capable of carrying humans, and endured temperatures of about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Initial data show the flight test met all requirements, ATK reported. Further analysis of data gathered during the flight will inform design decisions to ensure crewed deep space missions for SLS and Orion are successful.
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