The Propulsion Systems Division of Northrop Grumman has completed the first of a series of Flight Support Booster (FSB) tests of solid rocket motors for the NASA Space Launch System (SLS). The FSB-1 booster tests will help NASA and Northrop Grumman evaluate new materials for use in future boosters and new manufacturing processes to support missions beyond the Artemis 3 manned lunar landing scheduled for 2024.

The two-minute trial, completed at the T97 test area at the Northrop Grumman facility in Promontory, Utah, The full-scale booster firing was conducted with new materials and processes that may be used for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket booster. Source: NASAignited a single five-segment SLS solid rocket motor with a thrust of up to 3.6 million lb. The FSB-1 test is the sixth ground test of a full scale SLS solid rocket booster, following three development test firings and two qualification test firings

The SLS solid rocket motor and booster is based on the Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters (SRBs), but with five 300,000 lb segments instead of the four used on the Shuttle boosters. Two SRBs generate 75% of the thrust the SLS needs to launch its payload into orbit, with the other 25% provided by four liquid fueled RS-25 engines, better known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine. These SRBs are not equipped with parachute recovery systems due to cost and weight considerations and are disposed of in the ocean at the end of their flight.