A single solid rocket booster motor fires up at Northrop Grumman’s test facility in Promontory, Utah, on July 21.
A single solid rocket booster motor fires up at Northrop Grumman’s test facility in Promontory, Utah, on July 21. The booster motor, positioned horizontally for the ground test, fired for a little over two minutes and produced 3.6 million pounds of thrust. The only way to conduct a ground test of the boosters without launching is in a horizontal test stand.
The test aids in the development of future versions of the solid rocket boosters for the SLS rocket. Based on the space shuttle solid rocket boosters, the SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful solid propellant boosters ever built for flight.
Image credit: Northrop Grumman