NASA and Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) have conducted a full-scale test of a five-segment solid rocket motor – designated Development Motor-3 (DM-3) – at their test facility in Promontory, on Thursday. The configuration is being tested ahead of a potential role with the Space Launch System (SLS), which would utilize two of the boosters during [...]
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A new schedule, created by NASA, has provided a “preliminary, budget restricted” manifest which places the first flight of the fully evolved Space Launch System (SLS) in the year 2032. The information includes details on the chosen configuration and hardware, but provides a depressing schedule, with a flight rate of just one mission per year, [...]
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A critical step in the process of clearing STS-135/Atlantis and her systems for flight has been completed in the form of the In-Flight Anomaly Review (IFA Review) for the previous program flight: STS-134/Endeavour. Particularly, Endeavour’s booster rockets were shown to have performed excellently during the May 2011 retirement flight of OV-105, with only one outstanding [...]
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Following an intense week of executive level reviews, a decision has been made on the configuration for NASA’s new launch vehicle. With NASA administrator Charlie Bolden agreeing to a configuration which is heavily derived from the retiring Space Shuttle, an official announcement is likely to be made on July 8, coinciding with the Shuttle’s final [...]
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A decision on the configuration of the Space Launch System (SLS) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV) is just weeks away, as final evaluations take place into a “staged evolution of a single heavy launcher”, after NASA’s leadership rejected the two-phase approach, which would have resulted in an open competition for the Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) [...]
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The Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR) has concluded by approving November 1 as the launch date for STS-133. The decision came after a smooth review process, aided by the resolution of the OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) crossfeed flange leak and the clearance of one “action item” from the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) FRR, relating to [...]
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Alliant Techsystems (ATK) and NASA have tested the second fully developed “Ares” five-segment solid rocket motor, known as Development Motor-2 (DM-2), at their Utah test facility on Tuesday. The future career prospects for the Solids have increased recently, as they find a central role with the ongoing assessments into a Shuttle Derived Heavy Lift Launch [...]
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As the era of large Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) for NASA launch vehicles appears to be drawing to a close, the performance of STS-132′s booster set was recorded as excellent at the In Flight Anomaly Review (IFA). In total, zero IFAs were recorded on the Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs) – with only four minor [...]
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As the countdown begins for STS-132, mission managers are continuing to review the status of Atlantis’ hardware, using the baseline of the Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs). In particular, certification of the STS-132 SRBs and RSRMs for flight was aided by the clean performance of both SRBs/RSRMs on STS-131 – with only one SRB IFA (In-Flight [...]
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With Discovery’s payload now installed into the orbiter’s Payload Bay, all eyes are on Friday’s Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR). Several items of interest are under review, all of which have flight rationale decisions to allow STS-131 to launch on April 5. One item of interest with the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) already has flight [...]
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A redesign to the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Thrust Vector Control (TVC) Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) fuel pump will be implemented on STS-134 and STS-133 – currently the final two “scheduled” shuttle flights. The redesign will eliminate the highest – although extremely unlikely to occur – “critical 1″ failure scenario, which holds the potential of [...]
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With just under one week to go before the opening launch attempt for Space Shuttle Endeavour and the STS-130 crew, the Flight Readiness Reviews (FRR) have thoroughly reviewed all open and nonconformance outstanding issues with the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs) ahead of the first shuttle mission of the year.
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Capping off a highly successful year for the Space Shuttle Program, the STS-129 flight of Atlantis last month has undergone its final, official post-flight assessment: the all-important In-Flight Anomaly (IFA) review. In all, STS-129 was a clean flight, particularly for the vehicle’s Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs).
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Shuttle managers have concluded the key review of STS-129′s mission, in turn providing a baseline for STS-130′s Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs). The STS-129 IFA (In Flight Anomaly) review provided an in-depth post flight overview of all shuttle hardware, from the orbiter, to the External Tank, Space Shuttle Main Engines, and boosters – the latter of [...]
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Ares I-X has launched on the second attempt at 11:30am Eastern, and although the First Stage and the Upper Stage Simulator (USS) appeared to recontact after separation (later confirmed that no recontact took place) - managers are claiming the flight to be a success. Sources also claim one of the FS’ parachutes failed, with the booster splashing down with two working [...]
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With STS-128 and Discovery officially cleared by the SOMD (Space Operations Mission Directorate) FRR for an opening launch attempt on Tuesday, August 25 at 1:36A.M. EDT, NASA’s ongoing effort to ensure that all aspects of the Space Shuttle system are safe to fly was not dedicated just to the External Tank, as managers thoroughly reviewed [...]
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With around three weeks until the launch of STS-128, Discovery has finally arrived at Pad 39A, following a dramatic 10 hour-plus rollout on Tuesday. Once at the pad, engineers will incorporate around a week’s worth of changeouts associated with the left Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), following issues with a Check Valve Filter Assembly (CVFA) – [...]
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NASA officials have cleared Space Shuttle Endeavour for launch on June 13 at 7:17a.m. This mission, the STS-127/2J/A flight, will complete assembly of the Japanese Kibo Laboratory complex during the 16-day journey to space. With this approval for flight comes one of the final steps of flight rationale for Endeavour’s Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs) [...]
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With launch of STS-125 now less than a week away, NASA managers have thoroughly reviewed the performance of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) from the previous missions, approving several safety and performance upgrades to aid Shuttles Atlantis and Endeavour on their STS-125 and STS-400 missions respectively.
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Even though shuttle managers are preparing for two missions in the space of a month, efforts on the downstream flights are at various stages of processing and planning, all the way through to STS-135 – which is currently the LON (Launch On Need) placeholder for what is currently the last shuttle mission – STS-134 – [...]
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