NASA and Alliant Techsystems Inc. [ATK] will conduct the first full-scale, full-duration test of the new first-stage solid rocket motor for the Ares I rocket at 1 p.m. MDT, on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The test will take place at the ATK test facility in Promontory, Utah.
The static firing of the five-segment solid motor, designated Development Motor -1, will last two minutes. The goal is to obtain valuable thrust, roll-control, acoustics and vibration data as engineers continue to design Ares I.
To attend the test, journalists must register with ATK. For information and to request credentials, contact ATK’s Trina Patterson at 801-699-0943. The registration deadline for U.S. reporters is Aug. 20. The deadline for foreign journalists is Aug. 13.
Interviews with project managers may be arranged in advance. News media bringing live broadcast trucks must request parking prior to the event.
The first-stage solid rocket motor is managed and tested by the Ares Projects Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. ATK Space Systems is the prime contractor for the Ares I first stage. The Ares I rocket is designed to launch the Orion spacecraft and the next generation of NASA astronauts.
For more information about Ares, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ares
