Legislation that potentially powers a plan for Alliant Techsystems in Northern Utah to keep building rocket motors for NASA took a step forward this week in the U.S. Congress.
That step came Thursday, the same day ATK announced it will perform a second horizontal ground test of the Ares Five-Segment Solid Rocket Motor in late August.
The Ares line was initially commissioned by NASA for the Constellation project, which faces a doubtful future under plans outlined this year by President Barack Obama.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, praised the Senate's passage of the NASA authorization bill by unanimous consent, calling it legislation that could save a lot of jobs.
"The NASA bill doesn't bring back Constellation, but it does establish payload requirements for a new heavy-lift space launch system, which should use solid rocket motors," Hatch wrote. "This could save thousands of Utah jobs."
Industry experts whom Hatch says he has consulted with note the payload requirements can only be realistically met by using solid rocket motors, which are made in Utah.
In addition, the legislation requires NASA to use, as much as possible, existing contracts, work forces and industries for the space shuttle and Ares rockets.
A House version of the NASA authorization bill, similar in nature to the Senate's, is in line for a vote, as well. The Senate and House versions will be sent to a conference committee to be matched up before being sent to Obama for approval.
The White House has indicated it supports the latest general drift of the legislation being considered by Congress, a partial reversal of the president's plan to farm out the entire rocket in one piece to private contractors.
The five-segment rocket motor, known as Development Motor-2, is an upgraded version of the shuttle's four-segment booster.
ATK said the testing starts at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 at the company's Promontory site.
The company notes that:
SBlt When fired, the motor will produce a maximum thrust of 3.6 million pounds, or 22 million horsepower.
SBlt The cases have all previously flown on the space shuttle, collectively launching on 57 missions.
SBlt A total of 53 design objectives will be measured through more than 760 instruments.
SBlt DM-2 is a "cold motor" test. The motor will be cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to measure solid rocket motor performance at low temperature, as well as to verify design requirements of new materials in the motor joints.
A public viewing area of the test is available along State Road 83 North, approximately 20 miles west of Corinne.
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