Download pdf - Historical Perspective on Large Scale SRBs From ATKacgsc.org/Meetings/Meeting_98/Subcommitte B/6.3.pdf · An advanced weapon and space systems company 4 The Hermes 31-in. Rocket Motor

An advanced weapon and space systems company

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Historical Perspective on Large Scale SRBs From ATK

Presented by:David McGrathChief Engineer, Ares 1-1, Stage 1

Presented at Aerospace Control & Guidance Systems Committee Meeting October 11, 2006


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Types of TVC Nozzles

Reference: Rocket Propulsion Elements, Sutton and Biblarz, 7th Edition


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Typical Flexseal Nozzle Configuration

Reference: Rocket Propulsion Elements, Sutton and Biblarz, 7th Edition


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The Hermes 31-in. Rocket Motor in 1951

• The Hermes A-2/RV-A-10 program produced an impressive series of firsts:

– The first successful static and flight tests of large (31-in. dia x 108-in. length), long-duration (41.2 sec), internal-burning, case-bonded solid propellant rocket motors

– A method of using multiple mixes to cast motors of any size, with a capability of 5,000 lb demonstrated in one day of mixing and casting


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1960 — Pershing IIs in Production(40-in.-diameter motors)


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Early 1960’s Sergeant Is Operational


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1960’s — High-Speed Interceptors Are in Production

• Many programs: Nike, Sprint, and Spartan families

• Huntsville, ABL, Longhorn primarily involved

• Very high thrust and accelerations


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14-ft-Diameter (168-in) Motor Study for NASAin 1961 (3M lbf thrust)

Note cluster of 7 boosters for Nova: 21M lbf thrust on first stage


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Minuteman Stage 1 — A Model Program

• 1957 — AF contract — feasibility study

• 1958 — Successful demo motor tested 63-in. dia, 22,000 lb

• 1959 — AF contract — first-stage development

– First motor loaded in January

– Successful test in April

– First silo test in September

• 1960 — First movable nozzle test in October

– First PFRT test

• 1961 — Completed PFRT test in January — 12 for 12

– First Minuteman flight — February 1, 1961 (one year ahead of schedule)

• 1962 — First MM I production motor accepted in April

• 1964 — First MM II production motor accepted in May

• 1966 — 1,626 motors loaded; more than 1,000 delivered for installation or testing


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Minuteman Stage 1 Motor


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1964 — Successful 156-in. Motor Demonstration


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Additional 156-in. Motor Photos


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Thiokol’s 260-in. Booster Program

Customer: USAF 1963 to July 1, 1964NASA (Lewis Research Center) thereafter

Parallel contracts to Thiokol and Aerojet

Target: Feasibility demonstration

• 260-in.-dia solid propellant motors, monolithic propellant grains• 6,000,000-lb thrust, 2-minute burn time• Half-length, half-thrust prototypes• 260-in. case test article at right

failed during proof. Aerojet went onto successfully fire a 260-in. motor


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A Concept Using the 260-in. Booster


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3M lb of Thrust: Achieved February 27, 1965, in “Subscale 156-in.” Motor

Aft-end Igniter

• Motor fired in casting/curing pit• Highly successful test


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Other Large Motors of Note in the 1960’s

• 120-in. motor demos with vectorable nozzles

• 100-in. motor with highly submerged and vectorable nozzle (38,000 lb propellant)

• 156-in. upper stage motor with highly submerged nozzle and secondary injection TVC (128,000 lb of propellant)


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Strategic Missiles (Bacchus content)

Promontory supplied AF ICBM Stage 1s and JV on Navy FBMs


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Space Shuttle Motor Development

• 1971: First NASA studies funded for solid thrust augmentation

• 1973: Motor development contract awarded

• 1977: First booster test

• 1981: First flight of original booster design


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SRB Aft Skirt TVA System Layout


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Titan IV SRB

• Titan IV developed after Challenger, Delta, and Titan accidents in 1986 and provided 25% heavier lift capability than previous Titan versions

• 3-segment motor with graphite-epoxy, filament-wound case 10.5 ft in diameter and ~770,000 lbm total mass. The total height is ~112 feet when fully assembled. Thrust was 1.7M lb


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CASTOR®, Orion, and GEM Motors


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Ares I Development ― Now

Five Segment Booster First Stage With J-2X Powered Second Stage


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Ares V Development ― Soon

• Two 5-segment boosters• Core with 5 RS-68s• Earth departure stage with J-2X


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Summary

• ATK (formerly Hercules and Thiokol) led the development of the majority of large solid boosters in the 1950’s through the 1970’s and is still the leading supplier today

• Numerous tests at subscale and full scale were conducted with a variety of case, propellant, and nozzle technologies on most programs creating empirical data bases from which design decisions were made

• Virtually all types of TVC have been tested and flown on large SRMs (movable fin, hinged trapped ball, trapped ball, flexseal, secondary injection, jet tabs, jet vanes, gimbaled auxiliary motors)