{"id":39724,"date":"2013-10-28T23:13:24","date_gmt":"2013-10-28T15:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/atk-reach-another-milestone-in-sls-advanced-booster-drive\/"},"modified":"2013-10-28T23:13:24","modified_gmt":"2013-10-28T15:13:24","slug":"atk-reach-another-milestone-in-sls-advanced-booster-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/atk-reach-another-milestone-in-sls-advanced-booster-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"ATK reach another milestone in SLS advanced booster drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

ATK announced they successfully completed the filament winding of a pathfinder Advanced Booster composite case. The milestone is part of their commitment to the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) Advanced Booster risk-reduction program, aimed at fostering booster options for the evolved versions of the Space Launch System (SLS).<\/p>\n

Advanced Booster:<\/p>\n

ATK \u2013 who provided the Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs) throughout the 30 year run of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) \u2013 are deeply involved in providing the bulk of the first stage boost for the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV).<\/p>\n

SLS is set to debut in 2017, sporting two five segment versions of the Shuttle booster, an arrangement that will stretch into the mid 2020s.<\/p>\n

Based on the evolvable nature of the monster rocket, SLS will receive an additional boost via the addition of \u201cAdvanced Boosters\u201d, enabling SLS to evolve to a launch vehicle capable of lofting 130mT of payload \u2013 deemed as a requirement for missions to Mars.<\/p>\n

\"LiquidSeveral companies are developing their proposals under NASA\u2019s SLS Advanced Booster Engineering Demonstration and\/or Risk Reduction (ABEDRR) procurement, ranging from solid to liquid options \u2013 such as Dynetics Inc.\/Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR), who are proposing the use of the famous Saturn V F-1 engines to advance SLS\u2019 capability to launch payloads of up to 150mT to orbit.<\/p>\n

ATK\u2019s own proposal \u2013 as outlined in a presentation acquired by L2 \u2013 builds on their legacy with the four and five segment boosters, with a motor that is \u201cadvanced\u201d on several levels, by \u201cprovid(ing) NASA the capability for the SLS to achieve 130 mT payload with significant margin, utilizing a booster that is 40 percent less expensive and 24 percent more reliable than the current SLS booster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SolidPart of their increased cost and mass savings are realized via the change in the casings used to house the propellant, by switching to a composite material.<\/p>\n

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The presentation notes the composite casings provide a 4,128lbm payload capability improvement, while the simplified stage assemblies comparison cites the saving of 480 man hours \u2013 a 50 percent reduction in the man hours required on the five segment motor.<\/p>\n

The ongoing evaluations are looking at the optimization of a case design that will be stronger, yet more affordable than traditional steel cases. The savings will allow for increased payload performance due to reduced weight inherent in composite materials.<\/p>\n

\u201cATK\u2019s risk-reduction efforts on this NRA will help NASA with technological development and performance upgrades in the future,\u201d noted Charlie Precourt, vice president and general manager of ATK\u2019s Space Launch division. \u201cIt also ties to cost reductions we have made on the existing SLS boosters and advances in our commercial business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Z77\"The milestone announced this week related to the construction of a pathfinder test article, shown in photographs to be a 92-inch-diameter, 27-foot-long composite case.<\/p>\n

ATK noted they overcame challenges related to the affordability and performance required of an Advanced Booster during the case winding operations for the test article.<\/p>\n

\u201cATK leveraged 45 years of composite case winding experience, its experienced workforce, and a modern fiber-placement tooling system to achieve success on its first attempt,\u201d the company added.<\/p>\n

\"Z3\"The company\u2019s proposal also includes a higher ISP density of the propellent, boosting payload performance by nearly 25,000lbm, yet saving $9.2m in costs per booster. With the increased operating pressure, improved propellant, tailored thrust profile, increased expansion ratio all combine to provide a 15.1mT boost to the SLS\u2019 payload capability.<\/p>\n

The next step in the Advanced Booster NRA program is to continue development of high performance and low-cost propellants that meet the lofty payload and affordability goals of the SLS.<\/p>\n

ATK note that these propellant options, many of which are also widely used in ATK commercial solid rocket motors, combined with the achievements made in composite case technology, will provide NASA several options for performance increases for the next generation Advanced Booster.<\/p>\n

As reported by this site earlier this year, ATK\u2019s Advanced Booster NRA team have already been hard at work on by the Propellant\/Liner\/Insulation (PLI) Integrated Product Team (IPT), tackling the challenge of developing a high-performance, low-cost PLI system.<\/p>\n

\"ATKAs shown in photos, the PLI IPT are busy establishing a design of experiments (DOE) matrix, cooking up 66 unique propellant mixes to test candidate propellant formulations for burn rate performance and mechanical property characteristics.<\/p>\n

The resulting mixes may have an appearance that would not look out of place atop of a \u201cget well soon\u201d cake for the Dream Chaser ETA, but once ignited it will have the ability of providing immense power, aiding the huge SLS rocket to rise uphill en route to orbit.<\/p>\n

ATK noted at the time that several \u201cfamilies\u201d of solid propellant formulations are being evaluated in the DOE process, with multiple variations within these families undergoing testing to select the best formulation within each family to pursue further testing within larger scale mixes.<\/p>\n

The favored propellant formulation will be tested during the NRA\u2019s 92-inch diameter integrated static test, set for early 2015.<\/p>\n

See Also<\/h4>\n